Iniquity: First Do No Harm
by Miss Guinevere
Summary: Life at Wolfram & Hart as seen through the eyes of the dashingly dressed liaison to the Senior Partners.
1. Getting The Girl

**Disclaimer**: Nothing is mine, except the plot and the OC's. Thanksgoout toTanni for beta-ing and running commentary!

_Tuesday night _

Jessica ran for her life. She had escaped her attacker by kneeing him in the groin and now she dashed down the deserted street, clenching her fists in front of her to keep her torn shirt from exposing her.

She had been walking home from a night out with friends when this _thing_ had attacked her from out of nowhere. It had claws and teeth and it was... hideous. It had shredded her shirt and cut her across her chest. Glancing down Jessica noticed she was bleeding. The monster had started to drag her towards a dark alley, and all she could do to avoid whatever it was the thing had planned for her was scream. That, and after a few seconds of getting it together, kick him in the crotch. It had worked, the creature had doubled over in pain and now she was running.

While turning a corner, she looked over her shoulder to try and see if the monster was keeping up. Before she could make out a shape or form, she ran into a wall, or so it seemed. Strong arms encircled her and a worried voice addressed her.

"Are you okay?" Jessica glanced up to see a very tall man in a suit.

Marcus Hamilton had been wandering down the street in front of Wolfram & Hart in search for something to keep him amused. Angel & Co. weren't really doing a good job of keeping him on his toes so he had to make his own fun. He had chuckled at the thought. A scream had jolted him out of his reverie. _Ah. The fun is about to start_.

A young, brown-haired woman sped around the corner and collided with his chest. She looked torn up and was bleeding from various cuts across her chest, neck and face. He made sure to sound worried as he asked her if she was okay. She muttered something about having to run and tried to struggle free from his grasp, right when the demon that had tried to capture her rounded the corner. Marcus glared menacingly at the creature, causing it to back away quickly, recognizing a much stronger evil in the seemingly normal man.

"It's okay, they're gone," he tried to soothe the hysterical girl in his arms. After a few seconds, the struggling subsided and she relaxed a little, gathering enough courage to look behind her.

"There was... I mean... it was so... I was so scared," the girl broke down in sobs. Marcus couldn't suppress a smile. _This is so convenient_.

"Shhhh. It's okay. Come with me, we'll get you patched up," Marcus offered. She eyed him suspiciously. The tears and the blood had mingled on her face and had painted a pretty picture. He admired the sight for a moment, then added, "You're bleeding. You need bandages."

The girl hesitated. Marcus could tell that the prospect of going god knows where with a large muscular complete stranger did not appeal to her. _Smart girl_. He had to be more convincing.

"My office is just down the street. The security guards have a first aid kit." The girl looked relieved, probably because he had just implied there were people in his office that could protect her from him, in case he turned out to be something less than a knight in shining armor. Well, technically he wasn't lying. There _were_ security guards at Wolfram & Hart and they _had_ first aid kits. Too bad there wasn't one of them that would even think of thwarting him.

He offered the shivering girl his jacket and led her towards Wolfram & Hart's office building. Once inside, they entered the elevator. Marcus pushed a series of buttons until a large black button appeared near the elevator ceiling. He could reach it with his arm stretched out, but a regular-sized man would have to stand on his toes or make a jump for it. He briefly imagined Angel jumping up and down frantically trying to push the button and not succeeding. A faint evil smile tugged at the corner of his lips. The girl kept her eyes trained on the floor.

"We're going down," the girl observed tentatively. "Are the guards in the basement?"

"Yeah, little girl." He turned to face her. "All office buildings have security offices in their basements." He stressed the last word slightly to make her face him. Sure enough, the ironical intonation of his last sentence was not lost on her. She whipped her head up to meet his eyes. He looked down on her coldly and watched her eyes widen in understanding and then in horror. She was kind of pretty, he noticed. Nothing too extraordinary, but given the right grooming, she could be pretty.

She stood still until the elevator doors opened, and then she made a run for it. Marcus grinned. The elevator led to his private quarters, and only a short corridor connected it to the entrance door to his apartment. She couldn't run. As soon as that realization kicked in, the girl turned around and assaulted him, fists raining down on his chest. Her knee shot up to connect with his groin. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed her arms and pressed them against her sides. Lifting her up with ease, he held her a foot above ground.

"You might want to try and behave," Marcus warned her. "Not that you were hurting me in any way, but it was kind of annoying."

The girl started crying. "What do you want from me?" she managed to whisper.

"Let's get you inside and patch you up first." Marcus was not about to put her down on her feet before she was safely inside his apartment, so he slung her across his shoulder and opened his front door. Closing it carefully, he gently dropped the girl to her feet in his living room. "Sit down on the sofa, I'll be right back." He ambled over to the kitchen and rummaged through a drawer. _Where are those bandages?_ Although he didn't need any, he kept them around for emergencies just like these. It had been years since the last one though; sometimes he liked to think he grew as a person. In the living room, the sobs had subsided. _That's quick_, he thought with a certain level of admiration. Usually, the girls kept crying until he was done with them. Or until he'd had enough and gagged them. A new plan started forming in his mind. She would be fun to break. It was something that he'd never done before but it was sure to keep him entertained for a long time. _Ah. There they are_.

Marcus took out his cell phone and started making calls. The supplies he needed for his plan to work were going to be delivered in a few hours. He filled a bowl with lukewarm water and retrieved a towel from the bathroom. He carried his makeshift first aid kit into the living room. The girl glared at him defiantly. _She won't go down without a fight, bless her_. Marcus sat himself down next to her and started dabbing her injuries with the wet towel. She flinched a little but let him clean her wounds.

"What's your name?" Marcus asked softly while dressing a particularly nasty wound on her neck. Next step would be getting her out of her torn up shirt. He wondered how she would react when he brought it up.

She contemplated not answering, but decided against it. "Jessica."

"Jessica, would you mind removing your shirt and leaning back? There are some more scratches I need to look at." He kept his voice pleasant. Jessica obliged silently, allowing him to bend over her to examine the wounds.

Jessica's heart was racing. This was her chance. She held on to her shirt with both hands while the raging psycho dressed her wounds. _Now_. She slung her shirt around his neck and pulled with all the strength she had left in her. Without any effort, he swatted her off like he would a tiny little insect. When he spoke, his cold voice made shivers run down her spine.

"Let's be clear about this. I'll play nice as long as you behave yourself. I fully understand that you're not comfortable with this situation, but you'll just have to adapt. I'm not letting you go just yet."

Not for the first time in her life, Jessica cursed her tiny figure. This guy was easily six foot four, whereas she stood a mere five foot six. He was built like a brick wall too. Pure physical strength would get her nowhere; she would have to rely on her brains to get her out of this. Sighing, she resigned to her fate for now. She would keep on looking for an opening, but right now the night was taking its toll on her and the pain from her wounds was starting to get worse.

"Good girl," the man approved when he noticed her acquiescence. "You'll have to wear one of my shirts tonight until we get you something decent to wear."

Jessica was confused. The guy was seriously disturbed. When he was not busy threatening or manhandling her, he was actually being nice. She couldn't make sense of his words though. He acted like she would be there for a long time, and that just didn't fit the profile for your run of the mill psychopath. It made him even scarier, it felt like his other side was just below the surface and you never knew what set it off.

He left the room to fetch her a shirt. Jessica's mind was in a spin, trying to find a way to escape. She didn't know what he had planned for her, but it wouldn't be pretty, that she knew. You only had to look in his eyes to see there was nothing there, no compassion, no kindness, only empty pools of... evil. She closed her eyes. _Concentrate. He's probably not killing you tonight, and he mentioned something about letting you go. You'll get through this. Try to appease him. Be nice. Don't piss him off. _Resolve settled on her features. She was going to survive this. She took in her surroundings, supposedly the living room. It was luxurious, to say the least. The sheer size of it was impressive; her own apartment measured only half of this room's size. She was sat on a black leather sofa that seemed to be especially manufactured for its owner, seeing as it was twice as large as you would expect a regular sofa to be. There were three doors leading to the living room. She suspected one to be the kitchen and one of them was the front entrance. The other would probably be some sort of hallway leading to the other rooms in the apartment. Everything about the furnishing screamed money and taste. _Too bad the owner is an evil nutcase_. _An evil nutcase wearing Armani_. She chuckled nervously.

Marcus took out a neatly folded white T-shirt from his closet and examined it. _Good enough_. On his way back to the living room, his cell phone rang. He grimaced at the inconvenience and answered it.

"What?" Marcus barked into the receiver. The man on the other end stammered something about the sweep team being ready whenever he was finished.

"That won't be necessary. I'll handle this myself." He turned the cell phone off, not wanting to be disturbed any further. Entering the living room he took in the scene before him. She was still not wearing a shirt, and she provided quite a sight. As she turned to face him, Marcus tossed her the shirt and leaned against the doorframe watching her as she donned it.

"So... what's your name?" Jessica asked in a small voice. "I mean... if you want to tell me..."

He cut her off with a brusque gesture of his hand. "Marcus Hamilton. You can call me Marcus."

She seemed to contemplate whether she should pry some more. Marcus decided to make that decision for her. He didn't feel like unfolding his plans for her right this moment. Tomorrow was a workday and he needed his beauty sleep. "You can sleep in my bedroom, I'll take the sofa." From the look on her face he could tell this confused her even further. _Plan's set in motion. _

After pointing Jessica to his bedroom and giving directions to the bathroom, Marcus went to install himself on the sofa. A short rap on the front door told him his supplies had arrived. _They can wait_. The sounds coming from the bathroom indicated that she was ready for bed. There was just one more thing he had to do before they could go to sleep.

He ambled over to the bedroom and opened the door right when she came out of his bathroom, startling her. _Great timing_. "Don't I get a goodnight kiss?"

Jessica's eyes went wide as saucers. _Oh god no. Does he mean..._ She cursed herself for not expecting this. _How dumb can you get? How many reasons are there for a guy to kidnap a girl? Stupid, stupid, stupid._

Marcus thoroughly enjoyed himself while observing the conflicting emotions on her face. Putting an end to her misery -- _at least for now_ -- he walked up to her and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, leaving her utterly confused. Turning to leave, he called over his shoulder, "I'm a light sleeper. If I catch you snooping around or trying to escape, I'll be in a very bad mood."

He gently closed the door behind him, and strode through the living room towards the front door. Opening it, he gestured for the waiting man to unload his cart in the living room, and quickly ushered the man out again. Marcus mentally glossed over the requirements that would be needed for his plan to work without a glitch. Satisfied with the course of affairs so far, he shed his clothes and folded them up neatly, placing the garments on the glass table. Dressed in only his boxers he draped his long body on the sofa and pulled a blanket up to cover him.

_Well, that went well. Phase two starts tomorrow._

Jessica was wide-awake. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. She was so very scared, and she wanted nothing more than to get through this alive. The unpredictability of her captor made it difficult to plan ahead. She believed Marcus when he said he was going to be in a bad mood if she woke him up and she was not planning on facing his wrath any time soon. She had absolutely no idea what he was capable of and she didn't want to find out. Her main goal was to stay alive as long as possible. _Whatever it takes_. With that thought, she finally fell asleep.


	2. Settling In

_Wednesday _

His internal alarm clock told Marcus that it was time to wake up. He stretched and yawned heartily. Throwing his blanket aside he sat up. _Coffee_. He strode to the kitchen, rolling his shoulders trying to smooth out his muscles that were stiff from spending the night on a less than comfortable sofa. _Damn. Glad I'll sleep in my own bed again tonight. _Marcus opened the refrigerator and pondered the contents. He didn't need to eat, but his guest should keep her strength up. _Speaking of... time to go and wake her up_.

He entered the bedroom without knocking, flicking on the light. Gasping in shock, Jessica sat up straight, eyes widening a little as she took in his scantily clad figure.

"Good morning sunshine," Marcus said cheerfully. "I'm going to take a shower. Coffee's in the kitchen. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, I'll be out in ten minutes."

Jessica stared at his retreating back, snapping out of her daze when she heard the shower starting to run. _This is wrong on so many levels... but that man is fine!_ She shook the thought. _How sick am I?_ She dashed across the living room to try the entrance door, but found it locked. _No surprise there_. She turned to the only other door she hadn't opened yet and figured that had to be the kitchen. Looking around the space she saw that it was one of those huge model kitchens you saw in magazines, complete with a kitchen island in the middle and a dining table large enough to seat at least ten people. She noticed a theme though: white. The floor was white, the cupboards were white, everything was white except for the kitchen counter, which appeared to be a dark marble. The whole room had a cold and clinical feel to it, like nobody ever used it. She rummaged through the cupboards to find a mug for the coffee. After a moment's hesitation, she took out two mugs and poured the coffee in them. Jessica eyed the liquid warily. _What if it's poisoned? Wait for him to drink it. Yeah, that makes sense_. She took the mugs from the counter and went to sit at the dining table, placing Marcus' mug across the table in front of her and waiting until he showed up.

Marcus towelled himself dry and considered the coming day. He'd have to go to work, obviously, but before that he had a bunch of other stuff to take care of. Not the least of which was making sure his little houseguest stayed put and did as she was told. He donned a black pinstripe suit, a white shirt and a blue tie and stepped out in the hallway. _Showtime_.

When he entered the kitchen, Marcus was pleasantly surprised to see that she had prepared him a mug of coffee. He'd thought it prudent to ease her into her new situation, but she was doing better than expected. Sitting down in front of her, he studied her features. She tried to keep her face unreadable, but Marcus' trained eye picked up on faint traces of fear. _Phew. Where's the fun if they're not scared? _He downed his mug of coffee and watched her pick up her own mug after a few seconds. _Smart girl_.

"Okay, Jessica. This is what's going to happen today." Marcus stood to place his mug in the sink. "I'm leaving for work in fifteen minutes. I'd appreciate it if you had dinner ready by seven." Jessica looked at him, puzzled by his request. "You're going to need clothes and toiletries. Hold on." Marcus disappeared into the living room for a moment and re-emerged carrying a large pile of various items. "These are catalogues from several clothing stores and some warehouses. Order whatever you want. You'll need food and other things to cook. I'll leave it to you to figure out what. Keep in mind that you might be staying here a good long while." He took a box from the table and unpacked a laptop. "This is yours. It's only connected to mine so don't get your hopes up. You type in anything you want to order and I'll see that you get it. Understand?" Jessica nodded silently. "Good girl. Questions?"

"I can't cook," she confessed in a small voice. "I really can't cook." _Please don't get mad, don't get mad, don't get mad_. She repeated the mantra over and over in her mind.

He dismissed her concern. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Now, if you need anything or if you have a question, you can reach me through that." He pointed at the computer. As an afterthought he pulled out one of the catalogues and handed it to her. "I strongly suggest you order abundantly from this one. Can't wait to see you in some of this stuff." It was the Victoria's Secret catalogue. Jessica panicked.

"What do you want with me? Why don't you let me go? If you're gonna rape me then just do it! Get it over with!" She stood suddenly, knocking over her chair and facing him. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Rape you?" Marcus sounded genuinely surprised. "Goodness, no. Why on earth would you think that?"

"Then what's the lingerie about?" Jessica huffed.

He smiled. "I just thought you'd like something nice to wear, that's all. Don't make a big deal out of it."

Jessica almost felt guilty. _Almost_. The bastard had kidnapped her and now he tried to win her over by... by doing what exactly? She just didn't get it. Throwing all that money around, offering her clothes... in exchange for what? A poorly prepared dinner when he came home? A guy looking like that couldn't find more willing cooks? For God's sake, he was the hottest man she'd ever seen and somehow he'd felt the need to kidnap her and make her his own personal house slave? A house slave that was allowed to order clothes and other stuff worth tons of money? It made no sense whatsoever, thereby confirming her earlier suspicions that the man was a basket case.

"What's this about, Marcus?" Jessica tried again. "What do you want?"

He seemed to weigh his words carefully. "Let's say you're here for... entertainment value."

_Well that's enlightening. Only in the sense that it isn't. Don't say anything. Don't make him mad._

"I gotta run." Marcus turned on his heels to leave the kitchen. "See you tonight."

After a few seconds, she heard the front door slam. She sank down to the floor and started to sob uncontrollably for what seemed like hours. After a while even the hiccups died down and she tried to collect her thoughts. What did she know so far? She hated to admit it, but she knew nothing. _Nada_. Except that his name was Marcus Hamilton and that he probably was filthy rich. And that he looked good in a suit. And without a suit. Other than that, she only had her intuition, which told her that the man was insane, and on top of that: evil. _But he can't be_. _He's... eccentric. That's gotta be it_. _Either way, he's got you trapped and you need to get out of here before something irreversible happens. Like, say, you dying. _Acknowledging the fact that her inner voice was right, she tried to come up with a plan. She started up the laptop and padded over to the sink to drink some water. After that she opened the refrigerator door to take inventory. _Disappointing_. Nothing but some orange juice and two apples. She took out an apple and bit into it. Walking back to the dining table she couldn't help but shake her head ruefully. She wondered if she'd ever see her parents and sister again. _Parents! _Excitedly she opened the internal mail program and typed a short message to Marcus.

_Marcus,_

_  
Would you please inform my parents that I won't be coming to visit them for a while? They need to take care of my dog for me. They live at 2304 Berkel Road, phone number is 818-5456. _

_Thanks,_

_Jessica_

She prayed her parents would pick up on the fact that she asked them to take care of her non-existent dog, and that they would at least think it strange that a complete stranger informed them of her absence. After that, it would only be a matter of time until the police found her. A chime indicated that Marcus had sent a reply.

_Consider it done. Smart move about the dog... I'll let it slide this time but don't be getting any ideas. _

_M._

Her heart stopped beating for a moment as she read the line that crushed the hope she'd felt at her sudden clarity. Now her only hope was that her parents would figure things out on their own. Marcus was smarter than she'd initially thought, so maybe he'd found a way around the whole 'complete stranger telling parents about their daughter's whereabouts' thing too.

She got up and started wandering around the apartment aimlessly. She closely inspected the bedroom she had slept in last night and found another room down the hall, some kind of study slash library thing. She didn't recognize any of the books, and frankly the room was quite boring, albeit lavishly furnished. Her decision made, she walked back to the kitchen and sat at the dining table, reaching for the catalogues. _Might as well bankrupt him_, she thought grimly. Another chime from the laptop indicated an incoming message. Unsurprisingly, it was from Marcus.

_How's the ordering coming along? Am I poor yet?_

She decided to play his game.

_Not yet... but getting there. Whatcha doing?_

It only took a few seconds for him to answer. As far as she could tell from five words, he sounded pleased.

_Boring meeting. What's for dinner?_

The weirdness of it all bemused her. Here they were, sending messages to each other as if they were in love. She could almost pretend that he hadn't brutally kidnapped her and confined her to some basement dungeon. Granted, a luxurious and lavish dungeon, but a dungeon nonetheless.

_Don't know yet. Any suggestions?_

He didn't answer straight away. Jessica worried she'd taken it too far, trying to sound amicably while he had to be aware of the fact that she was feeling resentful towards him. Finally the chime sounded.

_Surprise me._

A thought hit her as she thought about cooking. Supplies. Bowls. Pans. Knives. She opened some drawers to expose their content and soon she found what she was looking for. Knives. She took out the largest and laid it on the counter. Kneeling in front of the lower cupboards, she opened them and fetched a heavy saucepan. She held the handle in her hand and swung it a couple of times. _It isn't much but it has to do. _She typed a reply to Marcus' earlier message.

_I will._

Jessica had lots of time to kill, and she figured Marcus would get suspicious if he didn't receive her order list. She made a list of groceries she would need for the rest of the week, sent the list to Marcus and then started thumbing through the catalogues. By lunchtime she had listed everything. Eight pairs of shoes, too many tops to name, skirts, jeans, regular pants... That would have to do for now. Toiletries were up next. Gleefully, she ordered several perfumes, hair products, make-up of various shapes, colors and sizes, shower gels and other assorted goods.

That left the Victoria's Secret catalogue. Briefly she toyed with the idea to just let Marcus order her underwear to save her the trouble; but in case her escape plan did not pan out she didn't want him to think she would sleep with him. The thought brought her back to their conversation that morning. She was here for entertainment value. _What does that mean?_ _It lends support to the whole lunatic theory, but isn't he too... coherent to be absolutely apeshit crazy? _He seemed to be very determined and purposeful, rather than acting on a whim. Well, if everything went as planned, she'd be free of him tonight. She chose virtually every item she liked and clicked on the 'Send' button.

She thought out the details to her plan. He would come home from work and she would stand next to the door, knocking him out with the saucepan. If that didn't work, she would use the knife. She didn't want to kill him if she didn't have to; he hadn't touched her after all. _Yet_.

The sound of someone at the front door startled her out of her thoughts. The door opened and two men entered, carrying large crates of groceries. She was stunned by Marcus' carelessness.

"I've been kidnapped, I'm being held here against my will," Jessica blurted out. The men just looked at her in amusement and carried on unpacking the crates. She tried again, desperation creeping into her voice. "He's going to kill me! I want out! Help me!"

One of the men smiled at her serenely while he deposited the last item on the kitchen counter. "We know. We don't care."

After the men had left Jessica sunk down on the sofa. This meant that there were other people aware of her presence, which made escaping just a teeny bit more difficult. What had she gotten herself into? Resolve settled on her features. It still wasn't impossible. Marcus would be home by seven, which meant that the office building would not be as crowded as it would be during the day. And who knows, maybe these two were Marcus' personal assistants in cases like hers; that would mean they were the only ones who knew about her. The longer she thought about that, the more it made sense. After office hours those two would be gone and she would walk out of the building through the front door.

Resigning to the fact that she had six more hours to kill, she nosed through the groceries looking for something to eat. She planned to prepare the food as Marcus had asked, not wanting to alarm him that she wasn't staying for dinner. Because of her lack of experience in the cooking area, she was at a loss for recipes. Well, she'd warned him. She spent the rest of the afternoon taking a catnap and trying to figure out how to prepare lasagne. After she woke up she decided to take a shower and then shove the food in the oven. A quick glance at her watch told her she had one more hour until Marcus came home.

At a quarter to seven Jessica heard a soft ding that indicated the opening of the elevator doors. She quickly grabbed the saucepan and positioned herself behind the door. As Marcus walked through it, she swung the saucepan full force and connected it with the back of his head. He didn't go down. She dropped the pan and took out the knife.

Marcus turned around grinning menacingly. "You really don't understand, do you?" He lashed out with his fist, sending her flying into a wall. "Apparently we're going to have a little talk." He picked her up by the waistband of her jeans and flung her onto the sofa. "Seeing as you're really not that bright and this is the second time you act up today, I'm tempted to just forget it and end it right now."

Jessica was a shivering mess. He'd hit her. He'd thrown her halfway across the room. No man was that strong. She heard his steely voice through her jumbled thoughts and could barely make out the words. _End it right now? Would he let her go?_ Marcus picked up the knife and examined it. _Oh. End it_. She closed her eyes, praying it would be quick.

"What? No begging?" Marcus mocked, toying with the knife. "You won't be getting off that easily, little girl."

"I'm sorry," Jessica whispered contritely. "I didn't think."

"You're right." He moved to sit down next to her and his voice softened. He raised the knife to her cheek and caressed her with it. "You want to know why? You panicked. It's understandable, but this is the last time I will tolerate it. Now run along and tend to dinner."

Still scared to death, Jessica went into the kitchen obligingly. She set the table for two and took out the oven dish. It didn't smell half bad and she hoped to hell it would taste good as well. She opened the door to the living room. "Dinner's ready."

Marcus was glad the girl had shown some backbone, providing him with the opportunity to establish the fact that he wasn't exactly human. Also, it made breaking her that much more fun. If she really had just resigned to her fate like she'd tried to make him think by sending those messages, he'd have to dispose of her tonight. It was no use keeping her around if she wasn't entertaining. He entered the kitchen, loosening his tie a little. _Mmm, lasagne_. She sat down across from him.

Patiently he waited for the inevitable question. He could tell she was gathering her courage, and he was curious about how she would broach the subject. Spooning vast quantities of food on his plate, Marcus observed her as she toyed with her food. Never one for waiting long, he decided to throw her a bone. "What's wrong?"

_You mean besides getting hit and flung across a room by some freak of nature?_ She had to bite her tongue to keep that bitchy reply from getting out. Trying to keep her tone timid, she asked, "Who are you?"

"You know who I am. What you really want to know is what I am, isn't it?" Mutely, she nodded. "I'm not exactly human. You can't hurt me but believe me, I can hurt you. You haven't seen one percent of what I'm capable of."

Jessica believed him. Not wanting to talk, she cast her eyes downward and took a bite of her food. _Yegh!_ It tasted awful. Now he'd get mad again and maybe kill her and she'd never see her family again and they would never know what happened to her. When he remained silent, she glanced up to see him savoring every bite.

"It's delicious," he praised. "I love lasagne."

_Yep. Definitely a nutcase._

"Oh by the way," Marcus continued. "Your things will be delivered tonight. I had to pull some strings but I figured you'd need at least some of it tonight, so..."

"Thank you," Jessica said politely.

"No problem. Eat something," he ordered softly.

Jessica obediently picked up her fork and knife, cut off a piece of lasagne and ate it. _Yegh!_ Did he really like that garbage? She shoved the plate aside. "I think I'll just make a sandwich. Can I leave the table?"

"Of course." Marcus had helped himself to another serving in the mean time. "What's for dessert? Is there ice cream?"

She mentally glossed over the groceries she had ordered. Was there ice cream? She stood to leave the table. "I'll go check." Jessica peered into the freezer and reached for a bowl of chocolate chip ice cream, taking it out and carrying it to the kitchen counter. Marcus had finished his dinner and was looking expectantly at the bowl of ice cream. Right now he reminded her of a little boy about to open his Christmas presents, all but bouncing in his chair. Not a trace of evil on his face. She opened the cutlery drawer to retrieve a spoon and started scooping ice cream in a smaller bowl. She stuck the spoon on top of the dessert and carried it over to Marcus.

"Mmm. Thanks." He brought a spoonful of ice cream to his mouth and savored it, licking his lips sensually and closing his eyes. Jessica stared at him mesmerized and gulped. _Bad. Bad thoughts. He's insane and he wants to kill you. Do _not_ go there._ _You're sick, you know that? _

Marcus voice shook her out of her self-deprecation. "Don't you want some?" He offered her his spoon. She started shaking her head, but the look in his eyes hardened and she didn't dare refuse. Nodding, she raised her hand to take the spoon from him, but he swatted her hand away lightly and brought the spoon to her lips. "Open up." She obliged, tasting the sweet chocolaty goodness on her tongue. _Mmm. This is the stuff_. He finished his dessert in silence.

As she started collecting the dishes Marcus put a hand on her shoulder. Startled and scared she looked up. "I'll do the dishes," he announced. "You've had a rough day. Go ahead and watch some TV." He gently steered her towards the living room door. Not wanting to say anything to raise his ire again even though he seemed pretty reasonable right now, she perched herself on the sofa and flicked through the channels on Marcus' wide-screen TV.

Marcus placed the dishes in the dishwasher, softly humming a song. _I was right. This is so much fun. That look in her eyes is priceless. Can't wait until tonight... _Suddenly it dawned on him that he was going about this the wrong way. Scaring her into submission and encouraging her to behave accordingly was not the way to go, not if he wanted to enjoy this for a long time. He wanted her to break, not to bend. He needed to encourage her to talk freely, speak her mind and feel comfortable in his presence. Then it'd be entertaining to see how she'd react to his true nature.

A knock on the door told Marcus the goods had arrived. He walked over to the front door and opened it. Taking in the massive pile of boxes and bags he couldn't help but chuckle. Underneath Jessica's girl-next-door exterior was a woman that appreciated the good things in life.

"Do you want me to unpack this, Mr. Hamilton?" his assistant asked.

"No. You can leave." Marcus waved his hand to indicate that the man was no longer needed. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Marcus started carrying everything inside.

Jessica had gotten up from the sofa and shuffled over to him, eyes cast downward. "Let me take that."

Marcus dropped the boxes he was holding in the bedroom and turned to face her, lifting her chin with his hand and squeezing it hard. "You're not my servant. Act meek like that again and I'll show you what real submission is." Tears welled up in her eyes and he savored the sight for a while before he let go of her. "That being said, I would appreciate it if you'd clear your new clothes away while I carry your stuff inside. Just put them in my closet. Feel free to rearrange it if you need more space." Leaving her to digest his change in attitude he went to fetch the rest of the items.

After a couple of hours Jessica folded the last of her new tops and deposited it on the shelf next to Marcus' shirts. _Okay, that looks majorly weird..._ She had already shelved her toiletries in the bathroom and contemplated whether she would take a shower before going to bed. Her watch told her it was just after 10 pm. Marcus was watching TV; she could tell from the muffled sounds coming from the living room. Sitting down on the edge of the bed for a moment, she buried her head in her hands. She didn't know what to do anymore. Just when she thought she had figured out what to do to avoid his anger, she had messed up again. She touched her chin gingerly. It was probably going to bruise. _Well, it would match the black eye I'll have in the morning._ What had he told her? Stop acting meek... _Then how should I behave?_ _What does he want exactly?_ _Should I ask him?_ She could just picture Marcus throwing another fit if she did. Although him throwing a fit was not what she was most afraid of... Okay, the knife had been scary, but it was his cold and cruel tone that frightened her the most. The thinly veiled menace behind his words, and the way his mood could change on a dime. She almost wished he'd just pick a mood and stick with it, even though it would mean that he would be like that all the time. It was so hard to anticipate what he was going to do or say next, he never did what she expected. When he was being nice, she could almost forget he had kidnapped her.

Jessica sighed wistfully. _Wish I knew what he wanted from me._ Right now, there was nothing she could do to avoid irking Marcus. Submission angered him. Trying to kill him angered him. _Can you really blame him for that?_ She'd bet good money that defiance angered him. Should she just act like herself? And what did that entail? Should she ask his permission to use the shower or would he consider that too docile? Given his reaction earlier, she guessed it'd be best if she'd just take the shower without asking. Taking a deep breath she got up, fetched her new nightie and padded to the bathroom.

Marcus heard the shower starting to run and smiled appreciatively. Momentarily he contemplated chastising her on her audacity just for fun, but he decided against it. At this moment the most important thing was to get her to feel comfortable in his presence. Although hilarious, chiding her would prove counter-productive in achieving that goal. Besides, tonight would be entertaining enough without it. He stretched his long legs and propped them up on the table, leaning back into the cushions. Waiting for the shower to stop running he flicked idly through the channels on TV, but nothing caught his attention. _Ah. Finally_. _Time to go to bed._

He turned the TV off and walked over to his bedroom, quickly shedding his tie and shirt. Peering into the walk-in closet, he decided on wearing his light grey suit with a color-matched tie tomorrow. He took the garments from the rack and hung them on the railing in front of it. Upon hearing the bathroom door, he turned around and watched Jessica come into the room, oblivious to his presence. She wore a short midnight blue silk nightgown that was definitely clinging to her body in all the right places. The delicate perfume of her shower gel only added to the inviting picture she presented. He swallowed, scolding himself for being so easily distracted.

Marcus stepped out of the closet. "Look at that... Money well spent if you ask me."

"Oh!" Jessica squeaked, startled by his sudden appearance. "I didn't know you were in here. Do you need something?"

_You_. The sudden thought made him pause. He could give in to his urges tonight, but then she'd lose her appeal to him and he'd have to dispose of her. That wasn't high on his list right now. He wasn't done with her yet and he wouldn't jeopardize the coming weeks for one night of sex. He could get that anywhere. He could _take_ that anywhere. He'd always been rash and impatient, acting on impulse rather than a carefully laid out plan, but it was time to find out if this plan could bring him more satisfaction than his usual manner could. It was never too late to change course, after all. Marcus knew that if he'd set to seducing her, she'd be his before too long, but he wanted her to take the first step. He wanted her to be fully responsible for sleeping with him while knowing and accepting he was evil. If he'd seduce her now, she could always tell herself she hadn't really wanted it. Marcus hadn't felt so excited about something in decades and he wasn't about to spoil it for himself.

Her furrowed brow reminded him she had asked him a question. "No. I'm just gonna take a shower too." Acting on his words, he strode over to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Taking a quick shower Marcus wondered how long it would take for her to cave in. He had noticed her checking him out when he'd walked into the bedroom in his boxers that morning. If he wasn't mistaken, she found it difficult to tear her eyes away from his chest just now. Centuries of experience seducing women itched at his fingertips but he couldn't put it to use. She had to make the first move. _Doesn't mean I can't play around a little._ He turned the faucets off and towelled himself dry. _Boxers or commando?_ He smirked at the thought. It'd be a sure-fire way to chase her out of his bed, but that completely went against his plans for tonight. _Boxers it is_. He flipped off the bathroom light and walked over to the bed, getting in behind Jessica and turning off the light on the nightstand.

"What are you doing?" Jessica shrieked in alarm.

"Going to sleep," Marcus stated matter-of-factly. "It's my bed after all."

"Okay, I'll take the sofa." She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

He reached out to seize her arm in an iron grip. "You're not going anywhere. Now be a good girl and lie down."

_Okay, be yourself. Don't be docile or meek or submissive or whatever. Just tell him you don't feel comfortable with this. That's what he wants, right? Is it? _Jessica gathered all her courage. "I'd really rather not."

Marcus raised his eyebrows in surprise. _That's... interesting_. Resisting the urge to smack down her resistance like he had done before, he just stayed silent. His hand still held her arm in a tight grasp. It only took her a few seconds to start fidgeting, nervous about his lack of reply.

"I'm just not comfortable with it," she opted for a non-explanation.

"Why not?" Marcus inquired curiously. "It's not like I'm asking you for a blow job." He felt her flinch at his deliberately crude words and smirked.

"Wouldn't get one if you did," she muttered under her breath, trying to pry his hand loose.

"What was that?" Her voice had been barely a whisper; even so, Marcus had heard her. However, he chose to ignore her insolence, instead opting for a wiser approach: asking her to repeat herself. If she'd repeat it, she'd be downright defiant and that was something he could not tolerate. Defiance meant that she had given up and was trying to get herself killed. If she'd make up something else, it meant that she was starting to loosen up and that his new attitude was proving effective.

"I said that I'm not used to sharing a bed," she quickly amended.

"There's nothing to it. Come here." He tugged at her arm, causing her to fall back on the bed. Lifting her up slightly, he positioned her so that she was facing away from him and his body spooned around hers. His arms enclosed her tightly. "See?"

She was completely rigid in his arms, which led Marcus to suspect that she hadn't been lying about not being used to sharing a bed. Unable to resist the urge to poke fun at her a little, he pulled her flush against his body, one of his hands resting on the soft silk just beneath her breasts, the other snaking down to her belly. Jessica drew in a surprised breath and stiffened even further.

"Please, let me go sleep on the sofa," she pleaded with him, trying to turn in his arms to face him.

"Let me think. No." To emphasize his words Marcus gripped her tighter, to the point of bruising. "You're staying in my bed. It gets lonely here at night."

"Fine, I'll stay here. Not like I have a say in it, is it? Can you at least let me breathe?" Jessica huffed. _Looks like he doesn't mind me talking back. Good. I can talk back. God knows I can. _A grim smile formed on her lips. _If I don't die from suffocation first._

_Feisty. I like it. _Marcus loosened his hold on her a little, making sure she could breathe, but at the same time still holding her much tighter than any human man would. He liked her there and he wasn't about to let her get away from him while he was asleep. _Not that that would happen. _She was starting to relax a little. He nuzzled into her neck, smelling citrus fruits. _Mmm_. He purred. Feeling the rumble in his chest was apparently too much for her because she jolted slightly.

"Relax, Jessie." Both her and his eyebrows shot up at the endearment. _Where did that come from?_ "I'm not going to hurt you. Let's talk for a while."

_This is definitely turning into one of the weirdest kidnappings ever. Talk?_ She was being spooned by some sort of incredibly sexy superhuman, who had hurled her across the room and threatened to kill her only hours ago and now he wanted to talk? _Okay, appease him_. She was glad he hadn't gotten angry with her earlier when she hadn't immediately complied with his demands, but she was smart enough to figure out that he wouldn't take kindly to being defied every chance she got. Still, she was at a loss what to talk about, so she remained silent, waiting for him to elaborate on topics of conversation.

Marcus nudged her shoulder with his chin. "Tell me about your life." His words were accompanied by puffs of warm air caressing her skin. She shivered involuntarily. Not knowing where to start, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"I like my life. I mean, I had friends and I went to college..." Her voice trailed off when she reminded herself that calling him on the things he had taken away from her might not be such a good idea when she still had the whole night to survive.

His low voice close to her ear sent another shiver down her spine. "Go on."

"I studied... study at UCLA, um... majoring in environmental sciences. My sister and I like to play tennis together. I love classical music and I used to play the piano but I haven't practiced in ages --"

Marcus interrupted her with a soft chuckle. "You sound like a personal ad."

"That's 'cause I don't know what to tell you. Can't you just ask questions?" Jessica proposed.

"Sure. Let's start easy. How old are you?" Marcus suddenly wondered.

"Twenty-one last April. You?" she replied without thinking.

"Older than that. So you have a sister? What's her name?" Marcus was enjoying himself. This game would prove enlightening. If he'd manage to keep his tone level, she'd never realize that he was storing this as information that might come in handy in a later stage.

"Michelle. She's three years younger than me. She used to be a real brat but lately she's been kind of like my best friend. I guess we both got a little older you know?" Jessica babbled.

"Mm-hm," Marcus murmured while his thumb drew lazy circles on her belly.

Jessica wished he would stop touching her like that. It was distracting and she wasn't sure if he just liked the feel of the material or that it was a conscious effort to try to make her feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, she liked it way too much. He was holding her captive for God's sake! This was definitely not the time to go all Stockholm syndrome. Still, when he touched her like that and he was being friendly, she couldn't help but forget about her predicament. _Sick, sick, sick,_ she chastised herself. Aside from the whole kidnapping thing, there was also the small factor of him not being human. She didn't know what he was exactly, but had she ever given any thought to it, she was sure that being human would have ranked number one on her wish list for possible love-interests. But there he was, touching her and generally being too close for comfort and she was shivering like a teenager in anticipation of her first kiss. She cursed her chastity. If she'd had more experience with men, he wouldn't have such an effect on her and she would have been able to keep her head clear and maybe even come up with a plan to escape.

She sighed. "Next question."

Marcus smiled into her hair. She was becoming agitated and her heart was beating faster. It seemed like his close proximity didn't leave her entirely unaffected. "Do you want to go to sleep?"

"God yes," Jessica seized the opportunity. "I mean... I'm pretty tired."

"I know what you meant," Marcus said in an even tone. "It's okay. There'll be plenty of time for talking later."

_Yes, 'cause you've got me trapped here and it's not like I can go anywhere_, Jessica thought wearily. She was glad he didn't push though; it still felt way too strange to tell him about her life, knowing it was all too possible he would be the cause of her never going back to it again. _God this is tiring._ Sometimes she actually began to like him, forgetting what he was and what he had done to her. Then reality would kick in again causing her to question her behavior, her actions, her feelings, everything that might raise his ire to the point of killing her. Not to mention that she felt ashamed and guilty for being attracted to him. _Like I said. Tiring_.

Marcus placed a soft kiss just below her ear. "Sleep tight."

The feeling of his lips on her skin jolted her out of her thoughts, a flush of heat rushing towards her belly. _Crap_. "You too." She was proud of the fact that her voice sounded steady. After a few minutes Marcus' breathing became regular and deep, signalling he had fallen asleep. Jessica allowed herself to relax. _Sleep. Tomorrow is another day; you'll have more than enough time to berate yourself. _His arms around her made her feel safe despite herself and soon she too was asleep.

_/She stood in the street in front of her parents' house at night, waiting for them to come out and greet her. Her feet felt heavy and her breathing was constricted. Sound emerged from the open window in the attic. She wondered if she should go and check it out. Screams pierced the night air, shaking her and setting her into motion. She dashed across the garden to the front door. It was locked. She frantically ran around the house searching for another way of entrance, but finding none. Finally she gave up and sank down to her knees on the front porch. The door opened. Marcus appeared in the doorway, blood smeared on his face and hands, inviting her in with a smile. She followed mutely, knowing what lay ahead. As she ascended the stairs to the attic, he grabbed her ankle and pulled her down. His handsome features had vanished, revealing a face of pure evil. It wasn't human, or anything that looked remotely human. It spoke but the language wasn't familiar. She called his name. "Marcus." He released his hold on her and she ran upstairs to check on her parents. Entering the attic a horrific sight greeted her. Blood splatters were everywhere, painting the room a blotchy red. Boxes containing treasures from her youth were torn, their contents scattered across the floor. Looking closer, she spotted her sister lying in a corner, blood pooling from a wound in her chest. A hand on her shoulder startled her and she screamed./_

Marcus was jerked awakeby a gut-wrenching scream. Jessica writhed wildly in his arms, trying to free herself from his grasp. He tightened his hold on her. "Shh. You're dreaming. It's just a nightmare." He lifted one of his hands to stroke her hair, trying to soothe her. "Relax, Jessie. I'm here. You're safe." The irony of his words did not escape him. Her movements stilled, informing him that she was awake.

"You killed her," Jessica accused in a small, sleepy voice. "You killed my sister and you were smiling."

"It was just a dream." His tone was neutral. "Go back to sleep."

"Are you... going to kill me too?" The words came out barely a whisper.

_Probably_. Recognizing that that was not the most appropriate answer if he was to gain her trust, he refrained from saying the word. "Don't worry about that. I like having you here." It wasn't a lie; he just didn't know for how long.

"Promise me... you won't hurt them..." She fell asleep again.

Well, that was a promise he could keep, although technically he hadn't agreed to anything. There was nothing in it for him if he killed her family, not yet anyway. Right now it would only serve to alienate her instead of making her feel comfortable. Marcus pulled her closer to him and inhaled her scent deeply.

Apparently she already trusted him enough to fall asleep again in his arms, even though she'd just had a nightmare about him killing her sister. The girl never ceased to amaze him. She had to be terrified -- which he didn't mind in the least -- but still she wasn't afraid to talk back -- which he thoroughly enjoyed -- and she seemed to have resigned to her fate -- which was convenient. _Yes, I've made the right choice. Definitely_. He would lay low for a while and then break her. One of these days he'd have to come up with a fun plan for that. A smile graced his lips as he too fell asleep.


	3. Shifting Priorities

_Thursday_

Jessica woke up to the sound of someone snoring lightly. As she slowly came around, she noticed something heavy preventing her from turning. She opened her eyes to investigate. Marcus had draped one leg over hers and kept her pulled tightly against her chest. It reeked of possessiveness. To add to her horror, sometime during the night she had turned around, facing him. His nose was practically touching hers and he was still sleeping soundly.

She was not entirely uncomfortable. Since he was still asleep, she could imagine waking up next to a boyfriend and that was a pleasant image. Jessica sighed dreamily, allowing herself to live in the fantasy for a moment. Snuggling closer to his chest, she was startled when his eyes suddenly snapped open. His soft expression was quickly replaced by an unreadable one.

"Hi," she greeted him shyly.

Marcus smiled. "Hi." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and then stretched, letting go of her. "Mmm. Haven't slept like this in ages."

Jessica rolled away from him and sat up. "Good for you."

Marcus noticed her change in demeanor. He had caught her staring at him when he woke up, obviously thinking happy thoughts, and now she was virtually sulking. "Judging from the snoring, I'd say you've had a good night's rest as well," he smirked.

"I do not snore!" Jessica whipped her head around to face him. He had the nerve to laugh out loud at her disgruntled expression. _Just like a_ _boyfriend... Stop it._

"Someone's not a morning person," he continued his teasing. "What's the matter? Didn't want the cuddling to end?"

She blushed. _So he noticed me snuggling up to him._ "Shut up."

"Not a chance. Which part did you like best? Facing or spooning?" Marcus could barely suppress his laughter upon seeing her eyes narrow at him. _The girl does not like to be teased_. "I myself especially liked the part where you--" He was cut off by a pillow flung at his head. "Oh you'll pay for that!"

Briefly it occurred to her that maybe Marcus was more serious than his light-hearted tone of voice might indicate, but she dismissed that thought as she saw him lunging for the pillow she had retrieved from his side of the bed. In one swift move he disarmed her, pinning her to the mattress with his body. She struggled in vain to gain the upper hand and couldn't help bursting into a fit of nervous giggles. "Stop it!"

"Make me," Marcus dared her. "Let's see what you got."

His playful tone made it difficult for Jessica to completely abandon her boyfriend fantasy. She was still too wrapped up in it to be aware that she was about to cross a dangerous line. She fell silent and gazed up in his eyes.

_Damn!_ Did he really expect himself to resist this opportunity? Marcus cursed under his breath. She looked extremely inviting with those hooded eyes and luscious mouth. Not to mention the pretty bruises from last night. Centuries of self-control slipped through his hands like grains of sand. _Aw hell! Just one kiss_. He leaned down and captured her lips with his. She responded by putting her arms around him and pulling him closer. _Unexpected... but nice_. He deepened the kiss, thrilled by her reaction. Propping himself up on one elbow, he allowed his other hand to roam free over her body languorously.

_Mmm. Best kiss ever_. Jessica threaded one of her hands through his hair and used the other to hold on to his muscled forearm. _Whoa. Kissing the kidnapper!_ She came crashing down to reality. Pulling back slightly, she tried to push him off. He didn't budge, instead using his tongue to explore her mouth and caressing her through the thin material of her nightie with his hand. Jessica finally decided to throw caution to the wind and enjoy the moment. Maybe it would make her forced stay here somewhat more agreeable. Lord knows it was easier on her mental health if she just pretended he was her boyfriend.

Marcus noted her internal conflict and had to forcibly keep himself from persuading her by using brutal strength. She ceased her attempts at pushing him off and her body started to mold to his. That was his cue to pull back. He reluctantly broke the kiss and took in her flustered face.

"Better get ready for work." Glancing at the alarm clock on the nightstand Marcus sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He'd have to hurry if he wanted to arrive at his office on time for his early meeting with the senator. On his way to the bathroom he couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. _This is gonna be even more fun than I imagined._

Jessica stuffed the pillow behind her and let her head fall back on it. _Okay, what just happened? That was... awesome. _Had she really just given in to her sick and perverted attraction to her kidnapper and returned his kiss passionately? _Yup_. She hadn't been the one breaking the kiss either. So what was up with that? Why did he suddenly act all distant when this had to be what he was after? Or was it? Jessica turned to lie on her stomach abruptly and hugged her pillow. One thing was for sure; she had felt better kissing him than fearing him. It occurred to her that this might just be what she needed to get through this alive. He didn't seem to mind kissing her, and he seemed to enjoy their playful banter. If she was totally and completely honest with herself, she had enjoyed it too. She had almost felt... at ease with him.

She reached a decision. She'd keep herself relatively sane by pretending she was in a relationship with Marcus and that she was living with him. If his earlier behavior was any indication, it might be the only thing that could keep her safe while he held her captive. Ever since she had changed her manner from submissive to relatively normal, he hadn't gotten mad or hit her. That was progress. Exactly the kind of progress she desperately needed. And besides, who was going to berate her on her twisted way of coping with this? There was nobody here who could help her, she only had to consider her own opinion and that opinion definitely gave her the go-ahead. If it turned out that Marcus didn't approve of her new approach, she could always try and find another way. She had to believe he wouldn't kill her after he was done with whatever he had in mind for her. Hadn't he said something like that last night after she'd had that nightmare? _"Don't worry about that. I like having you here." _So he wasn't planning on killing her, and if she was able to convince him that she had actually liked her stay with him, he wouldn't have to take drastic measures to keep her from calling the cops. The only thing wrong with her plan was that she felt guilty and ashamed for being attracted to him. That was something she had to work on, hence the pretending to be in a relationship. If she could fool herself into thinking that, she could fool him too. She had to.

Marcus donned his boxers and walked back into the bedroom, where he got dressed in silence. Jessica had buried her head in her pillow and he thought it best to let her dangle in uncertainty for a while. _Don't make it too easy on her_. He had no doubt his reticence would serve to confuse her further. Aside from that, he grudgingly admitted that he needed some time to figure out why he hadn't been able to resist kissing her. The best, least distracting way to do that was to keep a certain distance until he got his priorities straight. It would be a damn shame if he'd have to let go of her prematurely.

Looking at his reflection in the man-sized mirror Marcus tightened his tie. Jessica couldn't decide if she should hurry to the kitchen to make him some coffee, if she should take a shower now the bathroom was available or if she should stay put. _What would you do if he was your boyfriend? Probably stay in bed_. She was a little discouraged by his taciturn mood however. Had she done something wrong? She figured that that probably wasn't the case, since he hadn't been hesitant about chiding her before. So why start now? Maybe he regretted their kiss... but then again, why would he? He had been the one initiating it, so he must have felt _something_. Unless this was all part of some elaborate scheme to make her go completely insane. In which case it was working.

Finally Jessica decided not to read too much into his stoic behavior. After all, hadn't her friends regaled her with stories about their boyfriends and the strange way they behaved sometimes? Granted, no college-induced boyfriend strangeness could even begin to match the utter insanity she had been chucked into, but on some basic level men were men. All men could act totally weird sometimes and there was no reason an evil superhuman being should be any different. _Right?_

His deep voice startled her out of her thoughts. "I gotta go now, I'm late for work. Why don't you sleep in today? Don't bother cooking, I'll bring some takeout." Before she could reply, he was out of the room. Seconds later, she heard the sound of the front door closing. She was alone again.

Marcus leaned back at his desk and crossed his legs, half-heartedly listening to the senator ranting on about her opposing candidate. He fiddled around with his silver pen and toyed with the idea of jamming it through the woman's eye, just for the heck of it. She truly was annoying. _Turns out that evil isn't as much of a bonding factor as one might imagine_. Too bad the Senior Partners needed her. _For now at least_. The thought reminded him of Jessica, not for the first time that morning. Rather abruptly, he stood and ambled over to face the window.

"Mr. Hamilton, you seem rather distracted. I hope I can count on Wolfram and Hart's services in this matter?" The woman could not take a hint. Marcus sighed. It would be so much fun to put her in her place, but now was not the time. She'd get hers.

Still facing the window, he addressed the impatiently waiting woman. "Of course, senator Brucker. I'll introduce you to Angel. He'll take care of it."

The woman slowly nodded. "Good. Can you make him a pedophile?"

"We'll see. Now if you don't mind, senator..." Marcus gestured at the door. Frankly, he couldn't care less about the senator's opposing candidate, but she was an integral part of the Black Thorn, which in turn played an important role in the Senior Partners' upcoming project. He couldn't very well antagonize her at this moment, but god, did he want to.

Senator Brucker glared at him, more than a little insulted by the fact that Marcus had been the one to end their meeting. Reluctantly she stood and gestured for her assistant Ernesto to follow her out, shooting Marcus one last dirty look before the door closed.

Out in the hallway the senator addressed her assistant. "Find out everything you can about Hamilton. I'm not about to let him ruin the Senior Partners' plans by his erratic behavior. He should know his place; I think this job is starting to go to his head. Report on my desk tomorrow."

Ernesto nodded silently and stalked off. The senator walked over to the elevator and took out her cell phone, dialling a number. "Sebassis. We might have a problem."

It was way past noon when Jessica finally woke up. She had been exhausted but felt invigorated after all those hours of restful sleep. Stretching she caught a whiff of Marcus' scent, causing butterflies to flutter in her stomach. She had been kissed before, but never like that, not like... _that_.

Having slept for over fifteen hours had had its effect on her mind too. Her thoughts weren't as jumbled and she felt more coherent; less torn between what she felt and what she ought to feel. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't feel repulsed by Marcus. Uncomfortable -- yes. Scared -- God yes. But repulsion wasn't among the multitude of feelings tripping over each other in her mind. Her mind drifted to the nightmare she'd had that night and the way Marcus had held her and comforted her. She'd trusted him then, enough so to fall asleep while he was holding her. _That has to mean something_. She got up and took a shower. Getting dressed she wondered what she should do to keep herself busy until Marcus came back.

Wandering restlessly through the apartment Jessica tried to think of things to keep her occupied. She plopped down on the sofa and flicked through all the channels on TV but nothing could hold her attention for longer than a few minutes. Deciding that she should try and clean up the apartment she searched for cleaning supplies but found none. Finally she settled on starting a journal on the laptop that was still sitting on the dining table. After an hour she was done sorting out her thoughts on the screen and she closed the program, protecting it with a password to be on the safe side. She'd have to talk to Marcus about her lack of activities; another day like this and she would die of boredom, and that was probably not the entertainment he had in mind.

She was relieved to hear the elevator ding, indicating Marcus' arrival. A glance at the oven clock told her he was early. After a few seconds she heard the front door open. He appeared in the kitchen doorway, holding a white plastic bag.

"Chinese," Marcus announced. "Hope you like Kung Pao chicken."

"Kung Pao chicken is great," she assured him. "God, am I glad you're back."

"Why?" Marcus inquired incredulously. _Strange girl_.

"I was so bored!" Jessica burst out. "I even wanted to clean the apartment but I couldn't find any supplies!"

Marcus sized her up thoughtfully. "I guess you're right. We should find you something to do. Any preferences?"

Jessica thought about it for a moment. _Law firm... what do people do in a law firm_? "I can do typing and everything," she ventured. "Something environmental would be cool... you know, put my education to work. But anything is okay, really, as long as I have something to do."

"I'll see what I can do. Now, would you mind setting the table?"

The rest of the evening went by rather uneventful. They made small talk about almost everything, ranging from the weather to politics. Marcus surprised her more than once by joking light-heartedly, but his manner was still distant. He hadn't even casually touched her, perching himself on the loveseat across the room instead of snuggling up with her on the sofa. He was friendly enough, but in a more superficial way, like they barely even knew each other.

Actually, that was not far from the truth, except for the small fact that normal rules of civilization didn't apply in their particular circumstances. It made her kind of huffy. This morning he had kissed her, and now he acted like nothing happened. _Okay, scratch that_. It made her all kinds of huffy with a side order of crabby. She was careful not to let it show though. Her plan still applied; she figured his standoffish manner was just temporary. For now, she'd just mimic his behavior and act friendly but aloof. He couldn't very well keep it up for longer than a couple of hours anyway, they'd have to go to bed and although the bed was quite large, it was virtually impossible to sleep in it together and not be touching at one point or another. _Why am I looking forward to the touching? Shut up_. She dismissed the vague sense of concern that settled in the back of her mind.

After a few hours Jessica had to admit to herself that she enjoyed their conversation. She found that fact quite disturbing because it meant she was actually starting to _like_ Marcus. On one hand, liking Marcus lent a certain respectability to her body's response to him. On the other hand however... how perverted was it to like your kidnapper? Of course she knew about Stockholm syndrome but she couldn't help but feel this was different. She liked his sense of humor and his quick mind. She liked listening to his deep voice and the way he laughed. _Oh no. No no no. I'm _not_ falling in love with him. I'm not! _

Freaking out, she rose abruptly. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

Marcus raised one eyebrow in surprise but didn't comment on her hasty departure. "I have to make some calls before I turn in. Sleep tight."

Jessica turned on her heels and all but ran into the bedroom. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. _Damn!_ She had been so sure her boyfriend fantasy would keep her safe throughout the coming days, but all it had done was get her into a heap of trouble. It had all become just a tad too real. She cursed under her breath. A psychiatrist would have a field day with her. She shed her clothes quickly and crawled into bed. _Okay, now think_. _Analyze the situation_.

She was starting to have a crush on the man that held her captive. Correction: the some sort of non-human super being that looked like a man that held her captive. She didn't know what he wanted from her, nor did she know if she was ever going to get out of there. Were her feelings for him her brain's logical response to those facts? Fall in love so her captivity wouldn't seem like such a bad thing? That had to be it. She couldn't bear the thought that she would be so twisted as to be in love with the... _thing_ that kidnapped her. Pretending he was her boyfriend was taking it far enough.

Then again... her brain could have a point. Her stay here would be far more agreeable if she had feelings for Marcus. Provided that he didn't mind. Well, he didn't have to find out, did he? She sighed. _And here I was thinking that my life couldn't get more complicated_.

In the living room, Marcus dialed a number on his cell phone. Almost instantly someone answered the call. "Mr. Parker. This is Marcus Hamilton." Parker wasn't amused by the fact that Marcus was calling him at that hour and made sure to communicate his discontent.

"Mr. Parker," Marcus interrupted him. "The Senior Partners have a message for you." The man stopped talking immediately. "They need you to send all the research material for the Henderson's case to me." Parker sputtered a little, complaining about the delays his case would suffer. Marcus cut him off brusquely. "Do you really want to go against the Senior Partners' wishes? Then have the files on my desk by tomorrow. Goodnight Mr. Parker."

Propping his feet up on the glass table in front of him, Marcus tried not to think about why he had gone through the trouble of calling Parker, the head of Wolfram & Hart's environmental legislation department, when he could have just as easily provided Jessica with some documents that needed typing out. Not to mention the trail he had just left; Parker was liable to ask around and raise suspicions. Well, he'd deal with that when the time came. He reasoned with himself that the quickest way to make her trust him was to make her as comfortable as possible, and that included supplying her with work that she actually liked.

He glanced at the clock on the wall -- _11 pm_ -- and contemplated turning in. He was getting domesticated in his advanced age; bedtime used to be sometime around 3 or 4 am, since he didn't really need the sleep. Right now however he couldn't wait... probably something to do with the scantily clad girl lying in his bed. Although he had vowed to keep his distance the coming couple of days, he refused to give up sleeping with her in his arms. Telling himself he had no ulterior motives for that and that he just liked the feeling of her back against his chest, he stood and made his way to the bedroom.

He hesitated before opening the door, a sudden thought hitting him. _The emergency back entrance._ He'd never locked it before, reasoning that in the odd case he would need it -- when something bigger and badder than himself was after him -- he wouldn't want to be slowed down by having to unlock it. It was hidden well; chances were Jessica would never find it even if she'd have a lifetime to search for it. Which she didn't. _Better safe than sorry_, Marcus decided and set course towards his study.

He removed a book from the top shelf of his bookcase, revealing a security panel. He punched in a short numeric code, and a part of the wall retreated, giving way to a narrow corridor leading to a steel door. Marcus stepped into the passage and walked up to the door, trying the handle. The door opened with a loud drawn-out creak. _Damn. Try again Marcus, don't think they heard you on the top floor._ He closed it again abruptly and activated the electronic lock pressing the red button next to the door. Making his way back towards the study hurriedly, he quietly shut the wall panel behind him and headed for the study door.

He'd barely made it out into the hallway when Jessica opened the bedroom door. She looked relieved and scared to see him at the same time. Marcus smiled at her reassuringly. "Did I wake you?" _No way she can find that door or unlock it. She's staying right here. With me._

"Was that you? I heard a noise and I couldn't place it, so..." Her voice trailed off as she reassessed the situation and came to the conclusion that she shouldn't pry if she wanted to maintain the fragile balance they had established. _What's in that room?_ Marcus looked decidedly skittish -- if a man that size could look skittish. There had to be a better word. _Edgy_. _Nervous_. "I'm going back to bed. You coming?"

"Yes. I'm done here." Marcus followed her into the bedroom and entered the walk-in closet, reprimanding himself on his lack of stealth while shedding his clothes and picking out what to wear the next day. _That was close_. He re-emerged from the closet in his boxers and climbed into the bed behind Jessica. Tucking his arms around her, he pulled her flush against his chest and closed his eyes in contentment. She immediately relaxed in his grip, instead of tensing up as she'd done the night before. It wasn't long before both of them were asleep.

_Friday_

When Jessica woke up, Marcus had already left. _Must've slept through the morning ritual_. She yawned and got out of bed, not bothering to put on some clothes first. _Who's gonna see me? Nobody._ She sauntered over to the kitchen in her nightie to have some breakfast and found a note sitting on the kitchen counter.

_Have some work for you. Will be dropping it off later today._

_M._

Well, that was good news. What day was it anyway? _Friday._ She wondered what the weekend would be like, provided that Marcus' job was a regular one and he had those days off like a normal person. Jessica realized she didn't know anything about his role in Wolfram & Hart, let alone whether his employers knew about him being not exactly human. Then again, he lived in a secret luxurious apartment in the basement of said law firm. Odds were they knew and they used him for specific purposes. Not wanting to think about what those purposes entailed, she focused on the fact that within hours she would have something to keep herself occupied. Just when she poured some milk over her cereal the front door opened. She went into the living room to greet Marcus.

Marcus entered his apartment carrying a pile of files, reports and other documents. He deposited them on the living room table and looked around to find Jessica. She was standing in the kitchen doorway dressed only in her tiny blue nightgown. _Good thing I decided to deliver those files myself._ He gulped, not able to stand the thought of someone else seeing her like that. Had she lost her mind? Why was she traipsing around barely dressed? Marcus felt his anger rising and tried to suppress it, succeeding only partially.

"What do you think you're doing?" Marcus snapped.

"Having breakfast?" Jessica's voice wavered a little, surprised by his irritation. "Did I do something wrong? What is it?" _Why is he so mad all of a sudden?_ She mentally checked if she'd done something that would irk him. His cold expression sent shivers down her spine. She'd managed to piss him off again, without actually knowing how. _Say something before he goes all homicidal again. _In a defensive gesture, she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Marcus was still scowling at her as if she'd spilled pizza over his favorite suit. "What?" Jessica repeated, worry evident in her voice.

"What!" Marcus blustered, moving to stand toe to toe with her. The bruises on her chin and her black eye were already fading a little and he considered adding another token of his wrath to them. _Maybe something more permanent this time._ "What are you thinking walking around dressed like that? What if I hadn't dropped those files off myself? Did you think about that?" Another thought filtered through, fanning his anger. "Or was that the idea? Bribe someone with your body to let you out of here?"

His threatening posture made her back up into the kitchen, but he didn't relent. Finally Jessica's retreat was halted by the refrigerator. "Well?" Marcus demanded in a low growl.

Was he out of his mind? Despite her fear, Jessica was beginning to get a little riled as well. How dare he storm in and accuse her of something she didn't do? "Now you listen to me." She poked her finger at his chest for emphasis. "First of all your note said you were dropping them off so I had no reason to expect anyone else than you. Secondly, you've _kidnapped_ me and you force me to live with you and then you have the nerve to tell me what I can and cannot wear when I'm completely alone? And third: you don't get to be mad at me for trying to get out of here. I'm a freakin' _captive_ for crying out loud. It's what we _do_!"

Her eyes were blazing with fire by the time she'd finished ranting. Marcus was impressed by her audacity. Forgetting all about his anger and his resolve not to touch her he leaned down and kissed her passionately. She molded into his body and responded in kind. One of his hands hitched up her nightie so it could roam free over soft skin; the other went to the back of her neck, thumb caressing the sensitive spot just below her ear. When his hand reached the side of her breast she came to her senses and pressed against his chest weakly in a futile attempt to push him away. He used his knee to separate her legs forcefully and shoved her into the refrigerator door, at the same time softening his kiss, coaxing her into giving up her resistance. Jessica moaned into his mouth and wrapped her arms around him.

The last shred of Jessica's sanity disappeared without a trace. At this moment she couldn't care less who or what he was. He hadn't responded with violence to her tirade as she'd feared, and that was all that mattered. That and the fact that he was kissing her again. Time seemed to either fly by or stand still; she couldn't tell.

It took Marcus a while to register the fact that his cell phone was ringing. Not breaking the kiss, he retrieved the damn thing from his jacket pocket and pushed the button that would stop the annoying sound. Even before he could slide it back into his pocket the ringing resumed. "Crap," he muttered, pulling back reluctantly to glance at the display. Without letting go of Jessica with his other arm he answered the call impatiently. "What?"

In an apprehensive voice his assistant reminded him that he had an 11 am appointment for which he was almost half an hour late. Marcus cursed. "I'll be up in five minutes. Stall him." A look at Jessica's face told him all he needed to know. She'd still be available later. He turned to leave.

"I didn't, you know," Jessica whispered to his retreating back. He threw her a quizzical look over his shoulder. "Try to escape I mean," she clarified, a little louder. "I didn't."

Her admission mollified Marcus somewhat. He knew he'd overreacted but he wasn't displeased with the way things had turned out. That kiss had been amazing and it begged for a repeat performance. So apologizing clearly was the way to go. "I know. I'm sorry." With that, he left for his office again.

After taking a shower and putting on some clothes Jessica sat down on the sofa curiously to leaf through the files Marcus had brought. She was pleased to find documentation on several aspects of environmental issues, and soon she was engrossed in the specifics of the Henderson's case. She spent the entire afternoon submerged in reports, only taking a break to eat a sandwich.

The elevator ding startled her. _Dinner!_ She'd completely forgotten to prepare dinner! Jessica bit her lip nervously. A glance at the clock on the wall told her it was almost seven, so she couldn't blame Marcus for being early. She briefly closed her eyes to compose her thoughts. _Okay. You messed up. Apologize. Act normal. What would you do if he was your boyfriend?_

Marcus entered the room looking particularly annoyed. Apparently he was in a bad mood and she was about to make it even worse. The one thing he'd asked her to do in the last couple of days and she'd gone and messed it up. The thought confused her. Just this morning she had called him on the fact that he'd kidnapped her and now she was feeling guilty for not living up to his expectations? Her attention was drawn back to Marcus when he sighed heartily and shed his jacket. He slumped down in the seat across from her, loosening his tie with a forceful gesture.

"Rough day?" Jessica inquired softly.

Marcus looked up in surprise. "Yeah. How was yours? I can see you've made yourself useful." A hint of a smile tugged at his lips as he motioned towards the disorderly heap of paper next to her on the sofa.

Jessica studied her nails for a moment before looking up to meet his eyes. She swallowed. "About that... I kind of forgot to cook." She scanned his handsome face for traces of rising anger.

Marcus sat up. She'd forgotten to cook dinner and she was clearly expecting him to berate her for it. If the negotiations with the Fell Brethren hadn't taken their toll on him, he might have considered playing with her a little. As it was, he was too fed up with playing mind games to do anything more demanding than indulge in the twisted family life he'd created for himself. His mind had been preoccupied with thinking about Jessica and kissing her the entire afternoon, much to the demon clan's dismay. They had questioned his position as liaison to the Senior Partners, and he was pretty sure the Black Thorn would have another one of their emergency meetings that night. He couldn't care less though; he had more important matters to tend to. Like the girl sitting on his sofa... he couldn't wait to kiss her again.

Jessica fidgeted apprehensively. Although silence in itself meant that he wasn't yelling at her or hitting her, it could also mean that he was planning horrible torture or plotting her death. "Marcus?" Her voice wavered a little.

"Don't worry about it. I'm not that hungry. We can just make a sandwich." As to underline his indifference, he stretched and yawned. He let his head fall back against the chair and closed his eyes.

"You look tired," Jessica observed. "Do you get the weekend off?"

"Affirmative," Marcus smiled, eyes still closed. "Just like a normal person. Come here."

Jessica could think of a ton of reasons not to walk over to him, but her feet had a mind of their own. The fact of the matter was, she wanted to kiss him again, preferably sometime soon. She stood next to him uncertainly, trying to decide on the right course of action, when Marcus' arm snaked around her waist and tugged her down onto his lap. His arms encircled her waist and pulled her to him.

Marcus sighed in satisfaction. The stress that had built up in him during the day ebbed away and left him feeling pleasantly languid. Her body was rigid in his lap but began to relax against him as his hand started drawing circles on her side. Although he was quite content just holding her like that, the need to kiss her senseless started gnawing at him. He ignored it, preferring their intimate cuddle to a kiss that could only lead to other things that wouldn't do at this moment. It was too early. He would ruin all his fun if he gave in to his urges.

Jessica leaned against Marcus' broad chest and silently wished for him to kiss her. She closed her eyes and waited for the feel of his lips on his. When it didn't come, she peered at his face through her eyelashes. He looked so peaceful, eyes closed and a serene smile playing on his lips. He almost looked like he was snoozing. She sighed in frustration and gently poked his ribs to establish whether he really had fallen asleep.

Marcus groaned in protest. "Can't you let an old man get some rest?" A giggle escaped her, causing him to open his eyes and look at her mock-indignantly. "Sit still. Giggling is not proper lap-etiquette."

"Sorry," Jessica grinned. "Old people are no fun."

Marcus laughed out loud, the sound sending butterflies to her belly. "Watch who you're calling old, little girl."

She pouted, drawing his attention to her lips. It took all of his self-control not to claim them with his own; instead he locked his gaze with hers and waited to see what she would do. When she broke the eye contact and placed her head on his shoulder he was slightly disappointed, until he felt her small hand start to wander up his chest, feeling out the muscles under his shirt. Making an appreciative sound he tightened his hold on her, encouraging her on. She traced patterns over his upper body with her finger, causing him to shiver. When he felt her soft lips touch his neck he was lost. His hand threaded in her hair and he pulled her head up for a kiss.

Jessica's hormones were rejoicing. At this moment she didn't even bother to try and rationalize her feelings anymore. Apparently she had gone and fallen in love with Marcus, even though she knew he wasn't human and was in all likelihood evil. What did that make her? She didn't know and didn't care at this point. How she had conjured up the nerve to touch him like that was beyond her, but she was glad she had. Suddenly it occurred to her where kissing Marcus could and probably would lead. He'd had plenty of experience in that area, judging from... well, everything. She broke the contact reluctantly and buried her face in his neck, not wanting him to notice her flaming cheeks.

His thumb stroked her neck, while his other hand traveled down her waist to slide under her top and caress her bare skin. Jessica shivered. If she was totally and completely honest with herself, she wanted to sleep with Marcus. _Definitely_. She felt stupid and naïve for not being aware about where things were heading. It was a consolation however that sex wasn't Marcus' primary goal. She still didn't know what he wanted from her but if it had been sex he could have just forced her to comply. He certainly wouldn't have refrained from touching her yesterday. Besides, what if it _was_ what he was after? Did she really have a choice? She felt a brief flash of worry when she realized she had accepted her fate. She could very well be here for the rest of her probably pretty short life. Was it really that bad to want to spend the remainder of her days relatively happy? In her mind she'd already started to disconnect Marcus from her captive state; a mechanism that allowed her to do just that. Raising her head she reached a decision. Marcus arched a brow at her and smiled lopsidedly. Before he could make a comment, she dipped her head down to capture his lips.

_Whoa... unexpected_. Marcus returned her kiss enthusiastically, pulling her tight against him with his hand splayed on her back. He deepened the kiss, his tongue finding hers. One of her hands traveled up to cup his cheek while the other raked his chest. Marcus could only think about one thing. _Bed. Right now_.

In one fluent motion he scooped her up in his arms and stood. She moaned softly at the loss of his hands' caresses and tugged at his shirt to indicate her displeasure. Her complete surrender brought Marcus back to reality. _Not now_. Instead of carrying Jessica to his bedroom, he walked over to the sofa and deposited her on it unceremoniously, smirking at her surprised squeal. Puzzled, she looked up at him.

"Not going to happen," he stated firmly and wished he felt only half the resolve that he'd just expressed. Insecurity was written all over her face. Marcus almost felt compelled to assure her that he'd wanted to as much as she had. _Almost_. He didn't have to explain himself to her or to anyone else for that matter. As it was, he had a hard enough time to rationalize his actions to himself. His complete lack of reason when it came to her annoyed him. Still, despite himself, he smiled down at her. He had to be careful not to push her away again after all.

Not sure what to think about the sudden change in his manner, Jessica turned away from him, brow creased. "Don't sulk," Marcus admonished, a hint of amusement in his voice. He chuckled when she stuck her tongue out at him in a childish gesture. "I'm gonna make a sandwich. Want one?"


	4. Meet The Parents And Patterson

_Saturday_

Jessica was wide-awake, staring at the ceiling. Marcus was still sleeping soundly, his arm draped over her chest. A glance at the alarm-clock told her it was just past 5 am. She had woken up an hour earlier, thinking about her situation and more specifically last night. She had given in to him completely, and he had refused her offer. He hadn't been angry or anything; actually his behavior hadn't changed at all. He still touched her casually every now and then, he still joked around and he was still nice to her in general. She couldn't figure out what she'd done wrong. She wasn't experienced, but she was pretty sure he'd liked her touching him, judging from the um... evidence that had been pressing up into her thigh when she'd been sitting in his lap.

She sighed, turning over to lie on her side with her back to Marcus. He stirred, moving his hand along her upper body to find a place to settle down. It set up camp right before it reached her breasts, eliciting a groan of frustration from her. The tables had definitely turned. She wanted his hands on her, so much so that she even contemplated taking advantage of him while he was sleeping. It could very well be the only opportunity she got; he was after all about a thousand times stronger than she was. She was no match for him when he was awake. Was she really that desperate? _No_, she decided. _Not yet anyway_. She punched her pillow into shape with one arm and plopped herself back down on it. A soft chuckle behind her alerted her she'd woken Marcus up with her moving about.

"Can't sleep?" He propped himself up on one elbow.

Jessica grumbled a reply. The last thing she needed right now was being laughed at, and that was undoubtedly what he was planning.

"Why not?" Marcus prodded further. "Did I snore?" He turned her in his arms gently so that she was facing him. She was grateful for the darkness in the room so he couldn't make out the desire on her features.

"Did you have another nightmare? What is it?" Marcus was beginning to get a little concerned when she wouldn't answer him. He had thought they were making progress, but this new development was unexpected. _And unwanted_. He lifted one hand to caress her cheek. "You can tell me."

"I don't want to."

Her voice sounded determined, so Marcus decided not to pry any further and let her figure out things on her own. The coming day would definitely aid her in doing so. Marcus kissed the top of her nose and stroked her hair. "Try to relax. We're sleeping late today."

Within seconds Marcus was asleep again. Jessica grimaced. He was still holding her too tight for her to escape his grasp, and since she didn't want to wake him up again, she was stuck in this position. She waited for a few minutes, then touched his naked chest tentatively. When he didn't respond, she applied more pressure, feeling out the hard muscles. He groaned appreciatively and unconsciously moved closer to her hand. Jessica pulled back in alarm and raised an eyebrow in wonder. A little more boldly, she resumed her touching, raking her fingertips over his skin, daring lower with every down-strike. When her hand reached the waistband of his boxers, she paused. Did she really want to go there? Did she have the courage? What if he woke up? Curiosity, and the fact that Marcus let out a disappointed moan at her stilled movement, persuaded her to explore unknown territory.

Jessica gingerly placed her hand on the anatomically correct spot, immediately finding out that even though he was asleep, Marcus was still enjoying her touch. _Um... oh_. She couldn't help cupping him and sizing him up a little. She gulped when he grinded his hips into her hand and she quickly withdrew her arm. Breathing hard, she folded her arm so that it couldn't do any more harm and resolutely closed her eyes. Her cheeks burned as she realized that she'd just done the thing she'd deemed herself not desperate enough for.

Marcus sat at the dining table fully clothed when Jessica emerged from the bedroom sometime around noon. She didn't meet his eyes, which he found moderately funny. Was she ashamed of her wanton behavior the night before when she had initiated their kiss? Wanton in her own eyes of course; compared to most of the women Marcus had known in his very long life, her behavior still classified as chaste. She'd showered and was wearing tight jeans with a black top sporting a low neckline. He took in the sight admiringly while she was having breakfast. When the timing was right he'd have a wonderful time enjoying himself with that body. He cleared his throat. "Hurry up, we're going out."

She whipped her head around to face him. "Out? Out where?" _Is he letting me go?_ _Just like that? _She searched his expression for clues but found none.

"Just going for a drive. We'll be back in time for dinner." Marcus was aware of the fact he had just gotten her hopes up only to crush them seconds later. It amused him less than expected, but it still was kind of entertaining. He couldn't wait to see her face when she'd find out where they were going.

Jessica mentally berated herself for getting so excited over nothing. She could have known he wouldn't let her go. Hadn't he said something to that effect earlier? She did look forward to seeing the sun again after spending almost four days cooped up inside with no windows whatsoever. "I'm almost done, just a minute."

"You're not going out like that, are you?" Marcus gestured at her attire. She looked down at herself to find out what was wrong with her outfit.

"Your face I mean," he clarified. "You still have those bruises and the cuts from Tuesday night haven't completely healed yet either."

Jessica shrugged. "Well I can't do anything about that, can I? What do you propose? Wearing a veil?"

"I'm more thinking along the lines of you using some of that make-up you've ordered to cover them up." He grinned condescendingly and leaned back into his chair.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes at him and padded back into the bedroom. When she finally re-emerged, Marcus was satisfied with her appearance, even though some of the bruises were still visible. He took some pride in the fact that he was the cause of them, especially since Jessica didn't show any hint of fear when he touched her.

He ushered her out of the apartment with his hand on her back. Taking the elevator to the parking garage a floor further down, Marcus decided on driving the black BMW. The weather was a little too chilly for his taste to drive a convertible, and the BMW had tinted windows, which was convenient. In addition to being an impressive car it was very comfortable, so it was perfect for today. He helped Jessica into the car and sat down in the driver's seat, noticing that she hadn't attempted to open the car door and escape. Smiling inwardly he started the car and steered it into the city streets.

Although Marcus didn't make a stop anywhere -- not like she'd really expected him to -- Jessica still took pleasure in the drive. After almost three hours of admiring scenery and making small talk, Marcus suggested they'd head back to the city again. Instead of taking the exit that would lead them back home -- _I mean Marcus' apartment_ -- he left the freeway two exits early and drove through the suburb where her parents lived.

"This is my parents' neighborhood," Jessica observed bemusedly. "What are we doing here?" She wasn't naïve enough anymore to think he'd brought her back home to let her go, so she felt a little unnerved by being in these familiar surroundings.

"We're going to visit your parents," Marcus replied evenly. "I thought you'd like that."

"I do! Seriously." She turned her head to smile at him, then her face darkened. "You're not... going to hurt them, are you?"

"As long as you behave yourself I won't. Don't worry. I do have some ground rules though." They'd arrived at the house and he pulled up alongside the curb, looking out the window pensively.

"Care to elaborate on those?" Jessica prodded when he didn't continue.

"Never mind," he dismissed. "It'll be more fun this way. Just keep in mind that Wolfram & Hart offered you an internship as my assistant. I'm curious to see what you'll come up with to fill in the blanks."

Jessica was taken aback by this. "Yeah, sounds like fun," she muttered. How was she supposed to fool her parents and sister with a story that she didn't even know yet? One look at her and they'd know something was off. Not to mention the fact that her father would most likely subject Marcus to a round of third degree questioning if he so much as suspected that there was something more between them than the usual relationship between an assistant and a supervisor. If her family figured out what was going on, Marcus would undoubtedly kill them in a heartbeat. She'd have to avoid that at all costs.

Marcus stepped out of the car and opened the car door for her. Together they walked up to the house. Before Jessica could ring the doorbell the door flew open and revealed Jessica's mother.

"Jessie!" The older woman grabbed her daughter in a bear hug. "I thought you were too busy to visit us for a while. That's what you said, right? Who's your friend?"

"Mom, this is Marcus Hamilton, my um... supervisor." Jessica pried herself loose from her mother's arms.

Marcus smiled charmingly and took the woman's extended hand. "Nice to meet you Mrs. Nader. Jessica told me so much about you."

"Come in, please. My husband is in the living room. We were so happy when Jessica called to tell us she'd been offered an internship. And at Wolfram & Hart no less!" Jessica's mother led the way into the house while Jessica shot Marcus a questioning look. _I haven't called them... why would she say that?_ Marcus just winked at her and continued to win over her mother.

Mr. Nader and Jessica's sister Michelle were both in the living room. After the formal introductions were out of the way, the interrogation commenced. As Jessica had suspected, her father was suspicious of Marcus' motives and asked questions accordingly.

"So, Mr. Hamilton," her father began, bringing out the big guns. "That business trip my daughter had to accompany you on this week... I trust you took good care of her? She had her own room?"

"Dad!" Jessica chided.

Marcus didn't mind the man's audacity. "Actually..." he started with a devilish smirk on his face, but he was cut off by Jessica's elbow connecting with his ribs. She glared at him, panicking slightly.

"Dad, that's none of your business," Jessica stated firmly, trying to steer the conversation in a safer direction.

"I think it is, Jessie. This man is a lot older and more sophisticated than you. I have the right to know if he's taking advantage of my little girl."

"Well, he's not!" Jessica replied hotly. _Actually I'm the one taking advantage of him_, she thought, recalling her actions of the previous night.

"Mr. Nader," Marcus stepped in. "I appreciate your concern, and you have every right to worry. I'm well aware of the fact that I'm older than Jessica and I have tried to suppress my feelings for her. But when it turned out she felt the same way, we've talked about it and we've come to the conclusion that we want to give it a try. That's why we're here. So while I understand you might not be thrilled with this development, I do see the need to make it abundantly clear that this is our decision and therefore not something you get a say in. At all."

The words came out a little more possessively and threateningly than he'd originally intended, but it was worth it when he saw the entire Nader family, including Jessica, shrink back into their seats as he enunciated the last sentence. The look on their faces was priceless. The father looked at him with pure unadulterated rage, barely contained by the intuitive knowledge that crossing Marcus was a bad idea; the mother looked flat out frightened; and the young girl looked at him with undisguised admiration and a little fear. Whereas Jessica threw him a look of utter annoyance combined with hurt and fear and something he couldn't put his finger on. _I knew there was a reason I picked her. _

Jessica's mother was the first to break the uncomfortable silence. "Come on girls, let's prepare something to drink." Part of Jessica was glad to retreat to the kitchen and break free from the suffocating tension between her father and Marcus, but another part wished she could stay and protect her father from the wrath she knew Marcus was capable of. She had experienced her father's sometimes patronizing manner first-hand, and she couldn't imagine Marcus taking kindly to that. She shot him a warning glare, which he answered with a reassuring smile.

Mrs. Nader closed the door behind the three of them and turned to her eldest daughter, worry etched on her face. "Jessie, what have you gotten yourself into?"

"What? I like him," Jessica said defensively. "I'm in love with him."

"He's absolutely yummy," Michelle put in her two cents. "Scary... but yummy. That body... totally hot!"

Mrs. Nader rolled her eyes at the teen's comment and studied Jessica's face. Reaching out to touch her chin, she arched a brow when Jessica flinched. "Are those bruises? Jess, does he hit you?"

"No!" Jessica denied ardently. "He's great! He's sweet! I was... mugged Tuesday night."

"And you didn't see fit to mention that because..." her mother inquired.

"It didn't seem like a big deal, Mom. I'm twenty-one years old. I can make my own choices and right now I choose Marcus."

In the living room, Marcus was entertaining himself by alternately riling and placating Jessica's father. He'd just made a particularly nasty insinuation about certain other skills Jessica possessed besides being a valuable assistant. The older man looked as if he was about to explode, when they overheard Jessica raise her voice and telling her mother that she basically chose him over them. _Mission accomplished. Time to leave_.

Because of reasons he didn't want to analyze, it didn't feel right to him to leave her parents in their current upset state. Standing to put his arm around Jessica's shoulder he smiled at her lovingly and then addressed the rest of her family in a soothing voice. "I'm sorry if this came as a shock to you, and I can assure you that I wasn't looking to get involved with an intern, but I will make sure to take good care of her. And of course I've signed over my duties as her supervisor to one of my colleagues. It was nice to meet you all. You should come by and visit us some time."

"Us?" Mr. Nader sputtered, not quite appeased yet. "Jessie, are you living with him? After four days?"

"I'm twenty-one, Dad. I do make my own decisions. And yes, we're living together." Jessica suddenly felt very tired. Finally her family seemed to resign to the fact that she stood her ground when it came to Marcus.

As they left the house, Marcus' arm still draped loosely around her shoulder, she realized he'd managed to have her choose him over her parents. At some point during the heated arguments she hadn't been acting anymore; she'd felt as if they were disapproving of her actual boyfriend. She wondered if he had planned the course of this visit or if he'd just decided to spice things up a little by irking her father. Even though she had no doubt her parents would welcome her back with open arms if she'd ask them to, Marcus had succeeded in temporarily cutting her off from her family. Which, it occurred to her, was a good thing. They wouldn't come to look for her; they'd stay safe. It was all too possible he'd done that on purpose, which made her like him even more.

Marcus turned to her as soon as he sat down in the driver's seat. "See? Told you that was going to be fun."

She scowled at him. "For you maybe. My parents think I'm crazy." She had half a mind to wipe his smug grin off his face, but instead decided on staying alive for now. "But on the bright side, they won't try and contact me for a while. Which means they'll live."

Marcus studied Jessica's face thoughtfully. She'd come a long way in only four days. Right now she was discussing the fact that he'd kill anybody that crossed him without even thinking twice, and she didn't really seem that upset about it. If anything, she appeared to only be mildly annoyed by his behavior, the way people were when they knew the other person was hopelessly incorrigible. She was already halfway down the road of acceptance, which meant that in a little while, he didn't have to exercise patience anymore. A part of him wished that it had taken her longer to adapt so he could have kept her around a little longer, but another -- much bigger -- part was glad that soon he wouldn't have to reel in his urges. _Soon._

To Jessica's surprise Marcus told her he'd cook dinner. She offered to help him but he declined, saying that she should just sit and relax for a bit. She wondered if he was sorry for causing stirrings in her family life or if he'd just felt like cooking. She mused if Marcus ever really had ulterior motives for doing what he did or if he just did as he pleased and only considered the consequences when they came knocking at his door. He was undeniably strong and powerful; that had to influence the way he experienced things. He didn't have to be afraid he'd make enemies along the way, he could just get rid of them when they aggravated him. She felt herself growing curious about his past, speculating about his age and what he'd been through to make him be like this.

After dinner Marcus popped in a movie and ordered her to come lie next to him. He stretched out his long body on the sofa and patted the spot between him and the sofa back. She snuggled up to him, her chin on his chest, so she could still see the TV screen. His arm snaked around her waist and pulled her even closer, while he folded his other arm under his head. They watched the movie in companiable silence, a pleasant dull feeling settling in Jessica's body.

The entire movie Marcus was keenly aware of her breasts pressing up against his side, and that only worsened after the movie had ended and there was nothing left to distract him from the feeling. It seemed like his desire had only grown stronger after realizing she'd be his soon. _It's still too early._ As if to make him even more uncomfortable, she moved in his arms, turning slightly towards him._ Too. Damn. Early_. Abruptly, he sat up. "I'd better go... do something." He disappeared into the kitchen.

Jessica made a face at the kitchen door. _He is definitely getting weirder_. She glanced at the clock. _Just after 11 pm_. _Well, if he's gonna be like that, there's nothing keeping me here_. She decided to turn in. Somewhat offended by Marcus' behavior, she didn't bother letting him know she was going to bed.

After about an hour Marcus joined her. Still a little bit angry about his conduct earlier, she rolled away from him when he put his arms around her to pull her into a spooning position. In spite of her irritation, she was disappointed when he didn't push matters as she'd expected him to do. Instead he cuddled up to his pillow.

Marcus was a little put off by Jessica's refusal to sleep in his arms, but he acknowledged it was probably for the best. He was running low on patience and the more he kept his distance, the better. He wondered why he strained himself so much to wait if he could just take what he wanted and then find another girl to entertain himself with. The last couple of days would have been an utter waste of time, but what were four days in an eternal life? He could give in right now and then find someone to keep around for a longer period of time.

Something about that plan just didn't sit right with him. He kind of liked Jessica and he definitely was attracted to her. Finding another girl to keep around for a longer time inevitably meant finding someone he wasn't as attracted to -- so he didn't want to have sex every time they touched. Or every time she looked at him. Or when she smiled. That would irrefutably be less enjoyable than to have Jessica around. He had _some_ self-control, he could hold out a little longer. He just had to keep in mind that it would all be over too soon if he gave in to his need.

_Sunday_

Marcus woke up feeling cold. It only took him a second to recognize why: Jessica wasn't sleeping in his arms. In fact, she had moved toward the very edge of the bed and looked as though she could fall off it any second. He remembered the previous night. She had been angry with him for some reason. He couldn't quite put his finger on why that ate at him, until he realized that her anger was counter-productive; it wouldn't help him achieve his final goal -- to break her. He pointedly ignored the little voice in his head that reasoned that her ire could prove useful in maintaining the distance between them, thereby aiding him in keeping his hands to himself and providing him with more time.

The thing to do now was to mollify her. He gently pulled her back to the center of the bed so she wasn't dangerously close to the edge anymore and got up. He prepared an extensive breakfast in the kitchen, put it on a tray and carried it back to the bedroom. The sound of him kicking the door shut behind him woke her up as intended and she looked up drowsily.

"Hi," Marcus greeted her. "I'm sorry about last night. I come bearing peace-offerings."

Despite herself Jessica smiled. Her resolve to stay mad at him wavered. Besides, he was bringing her breakfast in bed wearing nothing but his boxers. She blatantly feasted her eyes on every detail of his body as he faced away from her to carefully deposit his tray on her nightstand. _Food. Focus on the food_. "It looks great. Thank you," she smiled at him appreciatively as he crawled back into bed next to her. "You want one of those?" Jessica offered holding up a warm croissant.

"You sure?" Marcus chuckled. "I know how cranky you can be in the morning so I wouldn't want to get between you and your food." Jessica glared at him, throwing the pastry at his head.

"See?" Marcus pointed out. "Already shooting me angry glares and throwing things at my head again."

"You deserved it," Jessica asserted. "Insulting people is a sure-fire way to make them grumpy."

"I'll remember that." He broke a piece off his croissant and held it in front of her lips. Hesitating for only a second she took his fingers in her mouth and carefully retrieved the piece of bread with her tongue. Marcus swallowed visibly and Jessica tried to rein in her hormones, aided by the sudden shrill ringing of his cell phone on the nightstand. Welcoming the distraction, Marcus picked it up. "Marcus Hamilton."

"Hamilton, it's Steve Warner. Sorry to disturb you on your day off but we have a situation here." The caller sounded agitated, which was quite unusual for him.

Warner was the head of Wolfram & Hart's Internal Control Department, which meant there were problems afoot. Marcus sat up. "Explain."

"There's some fairly compelling evidence that one of Wolfram & Hart's employees has been selling confidential files to competing firms. Also, we suspect that he's been trying to uncover the identity of the Senior Partners. We have strict instructions to inform you straight away in cases like this." Warner fell silent, waiting for Marcus' reply.

"I'll be right up. I'll have to get dressed first." Ending the call, Marcus grimaced. This was not how he wanted to spend his Sunday. He turned to Jessica. "No rest for the wicked. I won't be long."

"On a Sunday?" Jessica wondered aloud. "What can possibly be so important that you'd have to go in on a Sunday?" She was disappointed he couldn't stay and enjoy breakfast with her. Maybe there even would have been some kissing.

"Would you believe me if I told you it was a matter of life and death?" Marcus inquired drolly. _Well, it is. Traitors are not tolerated in Wolfram & Hart's ranks_. There was no need for Jessica to know what he was going to do though, so he refrained from clarifying his statement. He gave her a quick peck on the forehead and dove into his closet to get dressed.

Marcus entered Warner's office without knocking. "Let's get to it, shall we? Who is he?"

"His name is Patterson. Chris Patterson. 36, married, three kids, works in Research. We have pictures of him trading files for money with a staff member of Burke & Burke. Early this morning my men captured him at the airport trying to flee with his family. Both Patterson and the family are next door in the holding room." Warner paused, glancing at Marcus uneasily. "He had sensitive documents on him."

"Get to the point," Marcus demanded.

Fidgeting nervously, Warner answered, "There was information in them about the identity of the Senior Partners. We've burned the papers of course."

Marcus jerked his head around to face the other man. Narrowing his eyes he observed Warner's features thoroughly. The man wouldn't meet his stare. _Damn_. Marcus softened his expression and smiled. _No need to alarm him yet._

Relieved, Warner smiled back. "Bring them in?"

Marcus nodded. "All of them."

Warner left the room to fetch the Patterson family. Marcus took the opportunity to sit down behind Warner's desk and go through his drawers. One of them was locked. Using his supernatural strength, he opened it. There was no evidence that Warner had written down anything about the Senior Partners' identity in it, but Marcus did find something else that held his interest: a beautiful ceremonial dagger with an engraved handle laid hidden under a stack of papers. He took it out and admired it, running his finger along the blade to test for sharpness. Satisfied, he slid the weapon into his jacket's inside pocket and waited for the family to be led in.

The door opened and revealed the Pattersons, escorted by Warner and two of his security guards. Chris Patterson was shaking violently, aware of what awaited him. His wife was constantly demanding answers to her questions from either her husband or Warner. The children were too young to realize there was something terribly wrong. Marcus noticed two of the kids were girls -- twins, about three years old, and there was a younger child in a stroller. He smiled at the little girls congenially and one of them raised her hand in a shy little wave.

"Initiate standard family sweep, Hamilton?" Warner inquired in a neutral tone.

Marcus let his eyes travel over the group in front of him. Reaching a decision, he shook his head and stood. "I want to make something clear first." He walked around the desk to stand next to Warner. "Mr. Patterson. You knew full well that Wolfram & Hart does not abide treachery. What I can't wrap my head around is the notion that nevertheless you've betrayed our trust by selling company secrets. You have anything to say for yourself?"

Patterson cast his eyes downward. "No, Sir. But my wife and children didn't do anything wrong. Please spare them."

"You were fully aware of our policy on dealing with traitors, and as such you are fully responsible for placing them in this situation. Frankly though, there is something that troubles me more than your betrayal." Marcus set to pacing in front of the group of people. "The Senior Partners' identity is the best kept secret in this company. And you've gone and uncovered it. I admire the resourcefulness and intelligence you indisputably possess but the fact of the matter is, our secret could be out on the streets. You understand?"

Patterson sighed. "I wanted some kind of insurance Wolfram & Hart wouldn't kill us when they found out about my... betrayal."

"Liar," Warner accused. "You wanted the reward."

Patterson looked confused, while Marcus slowly turned to face Warner. "Reward?"

"Yes, competing firms have offered a million dollar reward to anyone who can reveal the Partners' identity to them," Warner explained, throwing Patterson cold looks. "He just did it for the reward."

"I see," Marcus nodded and took in Patterson's perplexed face. _This settles it_. Moving to stand behind Warner, he retrieved the dagger from his pocket. "Mr. Patterson, Mrs. Patterson, could you please cover your children's eyes?" Mrs. Patterson quickly turned the stroller away from the scene and wrapped one of the twins in her long overcoat. Mr. Patterson took care of the other child. Suspicious, Warner tried to turn around to see what Marcus was doing, but Marcus was faster and crushed the other man's windpipe with his arm, lifting him off his feet. "Traitors die. That's the policy. Be glad you don't have a wife and children." He thrust the dagger into Warner's heart and let his dead body slide to the floor.

The uniformed security guards cocked their weapons and aimed at him. Marcus smiled slightly. "I'm sure Warner has offered to share the reward with you when you three read about the Partners' identity." They backed up to the wall as Marcus approached them. "What a dilemma. You know the Partners will most likely strike you down where you stand if you attempt to shoot me, but at the same time you know _I'm_ going to kill you. If it makes the choice any easier I promise to make it quick."

The guards hesitated for just a moment, providing Marcus with the opportunity to pounce on them and break their necks in a matter of seconds. Patterson's wife let out a shocked gasp. Surveying the three bodies on the ground and appreciating his handiwork, he turned to the family. The man stared at the dead bodies on the floor until Marcus snapped his fingers in front of his face. "You're going to get these out of here."

Patterson swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes Sir."

"Good." Marcus saw one of the little girls peek out from under her mother's coat. Quickly drawing her attention away from the corpses on the ground, he kneeled in front of the girl, facing her. "You're a pretty girl. What's your name?"

The girl peered at him through her eyelashes and grasped a handful of her mother's coat before she answered him in a small voice. "Nicole."

"Nicole, would you do one thing for me?" Marcus smiled and stroked the girl's hair when she nodded eagerly. "Take your sister and the stroller and wait outside for Mommy and Daddy, okay?" The wife was about to protest, but Marcus got to his feet and silenced her with an icy stare. Giving in, she ushered the children out of the office, then came back to support her husband who was having trouble standing.

Marcus shook his head wryly. "Patterson, you are one lucky bastard. You're bright and inventive and you know about the Partners. Just the man I need as my personal assistant. And if I catch you so much as looking at the Burke & Burke building -- or any other competing firm -- I _will_ have your family killed slowly and make you watch. Okay?"

"Work for you? But you... Yes Sir. I won't let you down."

Marcus chuckled. "I know you won't. Now all I want to know is whether you have told your wife about the Partners."

"She doesn't know anything. I haven't told anyone," Patterson denied vehemently. "I swear I just wanted to use the information to..."

"Blackmail the Partners into letting you and the kids leave in one piece?" Marcus finished his sentence.

Unsure of the correct answer to that, the man stayed silent.

"It's okay, Patterson. As I said before, I admire your ingenuity. I only want to stress that tattling the Partners' identity is a really, really bad idea that will inevitably lead to the gruesome and torturous death of your children, wife and yourself. In that order." From the look on the Pattersons' faces, his message was clear. "Now go and fetch those lovely children of yours."

Patterson turned to leave, then gestured to the corpses. "I just have to... get rid of --"

"I'll take care of them," Marcus interrupted him. "Go do something nice with your family and report to my office first thing tomorrow morning."

Making his way to the door leaning on his wife, Patterson looked back at Marcus over his shoulder. "Thank you. I mean... Thank you."

Marcus acknowledged him with a curt nod, then sat down in Warner's chair again as the Pattersons closed the door behind them. Why hadn't he just followed the company protocol? It was true that he could use somebody with inside knowledge about the Partners, but did he really have to bring a traitor into his inner circle? He half-heartedly contemplated following the family to their house to finish the job, but something kept him from pursuing that plan. He'd granted Patterson a second chance. Not something he'd normally do, but not something to rebuke himself for either. He'd keep an eye on the man and take appropriate action when needed.


	5. Too Close For Comfort?

Jessica was propped up on the loveseat reading through the paperwork for the Henderson case file when Marcus entered the apartment. _There he is_. She glanced up and her eyes went wide. _Is that blood? Is it his? _"What happened? Are you okay?" She jumped to her feet to scrutinize him closely.

Marcus looked down at his suit and found that Warner's blood had splattered all over the front of his suit, much to his dismay. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's not mine."

It took a moment for Jessica to digest this. "Then... whose is it?"

Suddenly wanting to see her reaction, Marcus told her the truth. "I had to terminate a couple of employees."

She flinched and averted her eyes. "I'm sure they had it coming." Her voice trembled a little.

He immediately regretted his blunt statement. "Yeah they did. It was either them or a family of five." Marcus recognized that wasn't precisely what had happened, but he didn't want to completely shatter the vulnerable friendship they were building. He'd undoubtedly made a dent in it already by admitting he'd just murdered people.

Jessica looked up in surprise to meet his gaze. "Family? With children?" Had he just rescued a family? Didn't that make him some kind of hero?

"Yes. Twin girls and a baby. They were cute, too." Marcus shed his jacket and held it at arm's length to examine the stains meticulously. "You think this is ruined?"

"Probably. So I guess that's all right then, I mean, if they were trying to kill a family." She walked over to him and placed her hand on his arm gently. "Are you okay? Seriously?"

_Is she... worried about me?_ He searched her face for traces of insincerity but found none. He liked the feeling; he could get used to it even though the fact that he didn't deserve her concern nagged at his conscience. _Conscience? Yeah right. Like I have one_. "I'm okay. I'm going to take a shower and change." Throwing her a quick smile, he left the room.

Jessica plopped back down in her seat and frowned. It couldn't have been easy for him, killing those people, even though he had been trying to rescue a family. His behavior had shown her more than once he wasn't as cold and calculating as he'd like her to believe. He might act like nothing was wrong, but she was sure that somewhere underneath his cool exterior he was upset, and she was determined to make him feel better.

It took Jessica nearly three hours to figure out what to do to divert Marcus' attention from what happened that afternoon. She'd prepared dinner -- it had been almost tasty -- and now they were lying side to side on the sofa just as they had been yesterday. Marcus had dimmed the lights so the living room was almost dark, safe for one small light across the room.

She snuggled closer to him. "Marcus?"

"Hmm?" The deep and rumbling sound sent a shiver through her. _The good kind_.

"Can I ask you a question?" Tentatively, she lifted her head to look him in the eye.

_There we go_. Marcus braced himself for the inevitable questions about his job and whether it entailed killing people more often. "Shoot."

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay, but I'm curious. I just wanted to know about you." Her fingers played with his shirt, distracting him for a moment.

"About me?" That was the last thing he'd expected. He frowned.

"Yeah. Childhood, memories, choices you've made... you know. You." She nestled her head back against his shoulder.

"Um... okay. Let's see." Marcus felt indulgent and actually looked forward to sharing his life-story with her. _The censored version of course_. "Where do you want me to start?"

"Birth. Duh," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, I was born into the human world about 2500 years ago. 467 BC to be exact. So I guess you could say I'm a lot older than you." His conversational tone was in shrill contradiction to his less than normal life-story. Not wanting to bore her with a detailed description of every single year he'd been alive, he decided to only discuss the main events. "My parents were kind of upper class so I had a carefree childhood. There wasn't much emphasis on schooling so --"

"Wait," she interrupted. "What does that mean, 'born into the human world'?"

"It's complicated. I lived before that but not in human form. My human parents named me Marcus and that kind of stuck although I'm not human anymore. Now will you be quiet so I can continue?" He smiled at her to soften the edge of his words.

"Sorry. One more thing: where were you born?"

"Rome. My parents were upper class Romans. As I said, we didn't really have to go to school a lot so my friends and I would enact battles on the fields just outside the town. I would always beat them." Marcus smiled fondly at the memory; then his expression darkened. "I was sixteen when my parents found out what I was and they chased me out of the city. I could have taken them on and kill them but I didn't want to. They were my parents, you know?"

Jessica nodded. She knew there was something behind his whole evil charade and it seemed like she finally got to discover what that was. "How did they find out?"

"Prophet. Foresaw a big evil coming and went ballistic when he saw me. Anyway, I roamed across Europe for decades, fought against the Romans, hired myself out as a mercenary to anyone who could pay and needed somebody killed."

Reminding herself that he was talking about the Roman Empire and that those were different times moral-wise, she silently encouraged him to go on.

"After about a century things changed. I met my... I met some more of my kind and we travelled together for a while. That's about it." Marcus sighed. It had been a long time since he last dwelled on his past, or at least the part of it that was spent growing up.

"You still see them? Those men you met?" Jessica wondered.

"Not that often. Sometimes. When they're in town." Marcus closed up a little, not wanting to overshare.

"And what about your parents? What became of them?" She felt him flinch a little and regretted asking the question.

When he answered, Marcus' tone was flat. "They were slaughtered by their friends and neighbors because they had given birth to me."

Jessica closed her eyes, feeling sorrow for the sixteen-year-old boy he once had been. He'd been forced to live with not only the notion that people perceived him as evil, but also with the guilt caused by knowing his parents had been killed because of him. She raised her hand to caress his cheek. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was a long time ago." Despite himself, he leaned into her touch. He hadn't shared the fate of his parents with anyone before, not even his kindred spirits. Her acceptance felt good. She didn't focus on the non-human aspects of his story as he'd expected; she genuinely wanted to know about him. It was a new feeling. He glanced down at her and their eyes locked.

A rush of desire shot through Jessica's body. "Marcus?"

"Hm?" _Ah hell_. _I've waited long enough_.

He hauled her up on top of him in one fluent motion. Resting one hand on the small of her back to keep her in place, he lifted the other up to pull her mouth to his. It started out as a gentle kiss, but soon turned passionate. Jessica wanted nothing more than to touch his naked skin and fumbled to unbutton his shirt. She finally succeeded in unbuttoning it halfway down and then gave up, ripping the rest of the buttons off in a violent outburst. Marcus chuckled against her lips.

Feeling her small hands on him, Marcus deepened the kiss even further, pressing her pelvis into his using his hand on her back. She moaned into his mouth and raked her nails over his chest, shattering the last shred of self-control he had left. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to the bedroom. He placed her on the bed gently and stood, towering over her.

"You get one chance to tell me to stop. This is it." His voice was urgent and his eyes searched her face for any indication of displeasure.

Hesitation flashed over her features. "I'm not sure," she admitted huskily.

"That's not a no," Marcus concluded and pounced on her.

His mouth crashed down onto hers and his hands seemed to be everywhere, sliding under her top and igniting a fire inside her. _Damn right that's not a no_. God, she wanted this; but at the same time she was scared. It was a big step for her, and coincidentally one she'd never taken before. He was moving too fast. She didn't want him to stop but his pace could only lead to pain and discomfort. She pushed at his shoulders fruitlessly, then turned her face away from his demanding mouth. It immediately latched on to her neck, nibbling and licking and generally doing delightful things... _Focus_.

"Marcus," she pleaded. "Marcus, wait."

Marcus came to his senses somewhat when he heard her soft plea. What was he doing? More importantly, why was he doing as she asked? It was no secret to him that she probably hadn't had sex before and she wasn't the first virgin he'd had, not by a long shot. Some of them had been willing, but most hadn't. He'd never had any qualms about it... so why start now? Why had he given her a choice in the first place? True, she was more important to him than the rest -- he'd planned to keep her around for a long time after all -- but still, he was about to ruin it for himself anyway, so why listen to her? He sighed. This was no time for deep thoughts.

"What is it?" Marcus asked, eyes boring into hers. He momentarily ceased his ministrations but didn't move, his body still pinning hers to the bed.

She swallowed hard, resisting the urge to stop talking and give in. "I'm um... it's going too fast."

He didn't disagree with her there, but she couldn't be talking about his plans for her; she was referring to what they were doing right now. "Explain." He drawled out the word and started moving his hand under her top again, caressing her side languorously.

"Um... well... I didn't... I haven't done this before." She blushed fiercely, but gathered the courage to continue. "And I'd like... well, my first time... to last."

Marcus laughed softly. "You're worried that I'm going too fast?" She nodded tentatively. "You're way ahead of me, little girl. This is going to take a good long while." A devilish smirk appeared on his handsome face. "I promise. Now be a good girl and lose the shirt."

Jessica's cheeks were burning by the time he finished talking. She'd gone and made a fool of herself. _Again_. He didn't seem turned off by her assumption however, if anything he looked amused at her lack of experience. Well, she could live with that. Now he knew about her current untouched status, he wouldn't have high expectations of her performance, so to speak. When his last words sank in she gulped. _Lose the shirt?_ As in 'take it off while he's watching'? She took a deep breath. "You do it."

She'd asked for it and he was more than happy to oblige. Marcus hooked a finger in the neckline of her top and tugged hard, the material tearing instantly. From the look on her face he could tell that while unexpected, his actions aroused her nonetheless. He turned his attention to the newly revealed naked skin. She was wearing a flimsy lacy bra. His fingers itched to remove it as thoroughly as he'd done with her shirt but that would have to wait.

Marcus leaned down to kiss her again, taking his time to explore her upper body with his hands. Her skin was so soft. He brushed his thumbs over her lace-covered nipples, eliciting a low moan from her throat. He decided he'd go easy on her; this was likely to be her last night alive so he might as well make it worthwhile for her. _Saint Marcus_. He felt a brief discomfort when an image of her lying in her own blood in his bed flashed before his eyes. He pushed the thought away and concentrated on the matter at hand. He brought up his knee to separate her legs and broke the kiss, mouth moving to her neck and biting down gently. She gripped his forearms tight and made an appreciative sound, letting her head loll to the side to grant him better access. He kneaded one of her breasts with his hand, letting the other travel down to the waistband of her jeans and stroking the sensitive skin of her belly with his knuckles.

Jessica shivered, completely overwhelmed by the feelings his hands and mouth were causing. She momentarily tensed as his nimble fingers snapped open the top button of her jeans, but relaxed again when his hand left the area and ran up her side, caressing it light as a feather. The next time his hand went down to unbutton the second one, she didn't care. She reached for his head and pulled it down to meet his lips in a passionate kiss, fondling the portion of his chest that wasn't covered by his shirt. He moaned into her mouth and made short work of the remaining buttons.

Breaking the kiss, Marcus sat up to remove her jeans altogether. In one swift movement he lifted her off the bed and pulled the garment off. He took his time to caress her slender legs until Jessica became slightly impatient, judging from her fidgeting and the frustrated mewls coming from her mouth at regular intervals. Moving back up, he noticed the rapt expression on her face. His lips curled up in a smug smile right before his mouth claimed hers once more.

Now she was naked save for her underwear, Jessica wanted to feel his skin against hers. She yanked at his shirt to expose more naked chest and sighed in satisfaction when she succeeded. Tugging idly at his sleeves she indicated that his shirt should go. He shrugged out of it, moaning as her nails raked across his back. _Time to speed things up a little_. He hooked a finger under the front clasp of her bra and ripped it in two. She flattened her hands against his chest and kneaded the hard muscles she found.

Marcus pulled away and dipped his head down to latch on to her breasts. She arched her back, encouraging him on and barely noticing that he tore her panties and tossed them aside. His hand caressed her belly and slid over her hipbone to her thigh, where his thumb drew languid circles, moving closer to her center but never quite reaching it. With a moan of frustration she moved her hips in the direction of his teasing hand. Obligingly he brushed his fingers over her clit, making her gasp and buck wildly. Watching her face intently, he entered her with one long finger.

Jessica was quickly losing any inhibition she might have felt. She should have done this way earlier. She threaded one hand through Marcus' hair and pulled him up for a kiss. His finger was still thrusting shallowly inside her. _God bless him for being freakishly tall. _Fumbling at the waistband of his pants she managed to locate the button and snap it open. She unzipped the zipper and tried to think of a way to let him know that he should shed the garment. Deciding that the time for being coy had passed, she broke the kiss.

"Lose the pants," she winked at him.

Marcus hid his surprise at her bold request and did as he was told, standing next to the bed for a moment to step out of his pants. He looked at her questioningly. She was virtually leering at him and motioned him to stop when he moved toward the bed again.

"Boxers too." She smiled at him seductively. Raising one eyebrow at her he slowly got rid of his underwear, chuckling inwardly as her eyes widened. He granted her a moment of ogling -- which she happily accepted -- and then he was next to her on the bed again.

"You sure about this?" Marcus inquired in a low voice, tracing intricate patterns on her stomach. He hoped to hell she was, because he wasn't sure he could stop anymore. To his relief, she nodded and tried to pull him on top of her. He didn't budge, instead moving his hand back to her core and inserting his finger into her again, moving in and out slowly. When he added a second finger, she bucked her hips into his hand and closed her eyes tightly. The ball of his thumb rubbed against her clit with every stroke, sending waves of pleasure through her body. Teasing her nipples with his tongue and hand, he enjoyed her mewls of appreciation, indicating she was getting close to climaxing. She chanted his name over and over, pleading for her release until finally her orgasm washed over her.

Jessica opened her eyes reluctantly. _Wow_. Marcus was watching her intently and she couldn't help but smile lazily at him. He took that as his cue to cover her body with his and position himself at her entrance.

"Wait," she suddenly gasped. Marcus just looked at her questioningly. "I want to touch you too." Acting on her words, she moved her hands to his nether regions, making her intentions clear.

"I can't wait," Marcus said in a gruff voice. "Well, I can, but I don't want to. Now brace yourself. This might hurt." With that he sheathed himself in her body, tearing through her virginal barrier. She felt a brief stab of pain, followed by the exquisite sensation of being filled. Marcus stayed still for a moment, allowing her some time to get accustomed to his size and waiting for her to start moving against him.

He didn't have to wait long. Growing impatient and desperate for friction, Jessica bucked her pelvis up slightly, moaning as the movement caused him to enter her more deeply. He moved into her, thrusting slowly and steady at first and letting her set the pace. As the tension built up in her body again, she urged him to go faster, meeting his thrusts frantically until she came for the second time. Nearing his own release, Marcus pistoned into her harder and gripped her body tight, not caring about possible bruises. Grunting her name, he emptied himself inside her, then collapsed on top of her.

After a few seconds he rolled to the side, pulling her with him and positioning her to lie on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, stroking her hair. She laid her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat, eyes drifting shut. It took Marcus a few minutes to realize something was off. She was still alive and he had no urge to... dispose of her. In fact, she was lying on top of him -- _cuddling_ -- and he took pleasure in the feel of her body against his. He was even contemplating how long he should allow her to rest before he'd try to engage her in a repeat performance. He didn't want to question his feelings further; he was glad he didn't have to get rid of her right away. He was intent on enjoying the new feeling for as long as it'd last. Odds were it would be gone before he had a chance to savor it. He smiled to himself and pulled her up for a languid kiss.

After a while Jessica disentangled herself from his grasp. "I should stop using you as a mattress. Am I too heavy?"

Marcus laughed out loud at her worried expression. "I didn't want to say anything, but for a tiny little girl you weigh a ton." Off her indignant look he added, "I think you might have broken a couple of my ribs."

She playfully swatted his side and giggled as he winced in mock pain. Planting a firm kiss on his nose, she rolled off his body and cuddled up next to him. "Not as tough as you look, are you?"

Marcus smiled indulgently. "Apparently not." The double meaning of his words was lost on her; she didn't know about his... inner struggle. She seemed happy to believe they were lovers. On some level, they were. However, she appeared to have completely forgotten about how she'd gotten into his life in the first place. Well, he wasn't about to remind her. _Not yet anyway. _"Are you hungry?"

"I could eat," she noticed. "You offering to prepare something?"

"Why not?" Marcus shrugged, then added mischievously, "I noticed I've been doing all the work around here anyway." He ducked to avoid the pillow she threw at his head. "You really have anger management issues." He swung his long legs over the edge of the bed and sauntered over to the bedroom door, allowing Jessica an excellent view of his naked bottom.

When he re-entered the bedroom carrying a tray of various snacks, Jessica was eyeing the remnants of her pretty top and underwear glumly. "Too much trouble to take them off in one piece, huh?"

Marcus grinned lopsidedly while depositing the tray on the bed. "I didn't hear any complaints at the time."

"True." She let herself fall back into the pillow and grabbed a handful of peanuts. "Anyway, you've got to stop doing that. Either that or buy me more."

"Buy you more? Woman, you have a closet full of those things!" Marcus teased her flippantly.

She arched a brow at him. "Not if you keep that up," she pointed out glibly.

"Fine." He hopped back on the bed and pulled her close, swiping a couple of peanuts from her hand and popping them into his mouth. "For every item of clothing I destroy you get a new one. But I get to pick them."

"I can live with that." Jessica yawned heartily and closed her eyes. "I feel like I could sleep for weeks."

"Then go to sleep," Marcus said softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He turned off the light on the nightstand and pulled her flush against him.

Long after she had fallen asleep, Marcus was still staring into the darkness.

_Monday_

Marcus made his way to his office whistling a cheerful tune. Today was going to be a good day. Before he'd fallen asleep last night he had figured out why he still wanted to keep Jessica around. It was so simple he couldn't believe he hadn't realized it sooner. His plan had been to break her and she wasn't broken yet.

That morning they had woken up early. Jessica had nearly jumped him and they'd had sex again. He smiled at the memory. _She really is lively_. Even though her muscles had to be sore from last night, she hadn't held back because of it. It had been satisfying, to say the least.

Patterson was waiting in his office as Marcus entered it. He had seemingly composed himself and didn't look as terrified as he had yesterday. Marcus' good mood increased even more. "Morning, Patterson."

The other man smiled guardedly. "Morning, Sir."

"Sit," Marcus ordered him while moving to sit behind his desk. Patterson promptly parked himself in the nearest chair.

He would have to make sure Patterson was comfortable around him before he could be of any use, so Marcus decided to turn on the charm. "How are your wife and kids? I hope I didn't scare them too much yesterday?" The second he saw Patterson flinch at the mere mention of yesterday's events, Marcus regretted his question. _So much for being subtle_. Subtlety wasn't really his thing anyway so he cut to the chase. Trying for his friendliest tone of voice, he delivered what he hoped was a comforting speech.

"I know you've had quite a shock recently and I'm not necessarily talking about yesterday. It's important that you realize you don't have to be scared of or intimidated by me. I need your services and I won't hurt you or your family as long as you're loyal to Wolfram & Hart. I want to encourage you to speak to me freely. When I ask for your opinion, I really need your opinion. I will _not_ harm you for bringing bad news or saying something you think I don't want to hear." A knock on the door interrupted his motivational monologue.

"Come in," he said slightly irritated by the disturbance. The door opened, revealing his assistant Peter... Peter... Something. "Ah, Peter, good to see you. Meet my new personal assistant, Chris Patterson. From now on, you'll assist Patterson instead of me. Chris, meet Peter, your happy little helper."

Patterson looked bewildered while Peter came across as downright irate. _Good_. He'd never liked the little weasel anyway. He raised his eyebrows at his former assistant. "Was there something you wanted? Something you'd like to say perhaps?" He couldn't resist yanking the young man's chain a little and attributed that urge to his evil nature. _I _am_ evil, after all_.

Peter shook his head, suppressing his anger and carefully keeping his expression neutral. "No Sir. Nice to meet you, Mr. Patterson. If you need anything, you know where to find me." He left Marcus' office, closing the door behind him.

"Now. Where were we?" Marcus turned to his new assistant. "I've already set you up with an assistant of your very own, so that leaves only your job description. Which is simple, really. Be honest and do as I ask. Understand?"

Patterson looked at him as though he'd sprouted horns. Repressing the urge to search his head for telltale bumps, he smiled encouragingly. "What is it?"

"You seem in a good mood, Sir," Patterson ventured.

"I am. Best you keep it that way, huh? Okay, I need you to find out about Warner's other... extra-curricular activities. I have the feeling that knowledge might come in handy to defend his termination soon."

Patterson frowned. "For what it's worth, I did overhear them talking about the Senior Partners while they were going through my stuff. Surely the Senior Partners don't need more reasons, especially since you were the one terminating him?"

"You know I'm not talking about the Partners. The Black Thorn has been on my back a lot lately; I'll need to find a way around them." Rubbing his forehead, Marcus leaned back in his chair. "Damn, now you've killed my mood. Don't bring those Black Thorns up anymore."

"I didn't, Sir. You did," Patterson corrected him, immediately restoring Marcus' cheerfulness.

"That's what I was talking about! See how I'm not killing you?" He had made the right call yesterday, Patterson would come in handy.

"Yes Sir, I've noticed." Patterson grinned, still slightly unnerved by Marcus' behavior but starting to loosen up. "Thanks for that."

Marcus laughed out loud and gestured to the door. "Go. Incriminate Warner."

After Patterson left, Marcus took some time to assess his position in the firm. Warner had been an important lackey for the Black Thorn in Wolfram & Hart, and now he was dead. Marcus had killed him. The Thorns had never taken a particular liking to Marcus, and it was obvious to him the assassination of Steve Warner would not help matters. One essential thing to do today was to find someone competent to take over Warner's job, before the Black Thorn could put someone forward to fill the vacancy.

"Patterson!" Marcus bellowed, hoping the man was still within ear's reach.

It took a couple of seconds for Patterson to re-emerge in the door opening. "Yes Sir?"

"Find me someone reliable to take over Warner's job." Marcus thought for a moment, then added, "Preferably someone without ties to the Black Thorn or Wolfram & Hart."

Patterson smiled confidently. "I know just the guy, Sir. I'll be right back."

Jessica couldn't keep her attention focused on the Henderson's case files. She'd tried to read through a report on the water condition in the area, but her mind kept wandering. _No wonder_. She'd slept with Marcus. _Twice_. It had been... amazing. She sighed dreamily. Marcus really was a sweetheart when you got to know him better. He had been so gentle and even... loving. Did this mean that he actually _was_ her boyfriend? She figured it did. She lived with him, she was in love with him and they had sex. To quote a popular saying: If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck... He might not be a regular boyfriend, him being non-human and all, but still, Marcus had to have feelings for her or he wouldn't have acted the way he did yesterday.

In retrospect, the past week didn't seem so bad. Of course, Marcus had been mad at her a couple of times, but he'd had good reason every time. That first night she'd tried to kill him. If that didn't constitute grounds to be angry with somebody, she didn't know what did. After that, she'd been so scared that she'd acted like his personal slave. That hadn't been what he wanted from her, and he'd let her know. Maybe he had overreacted a little bit, but with all the traumatic experiences he'd had in his life, you couldn't blame him for trying to solve problems by using violence. Then there was the time she'd ambled through the apartment barely clothed and he walked in on her. It could have been somebody else delivering those documents and to be honest, she didn't want to think about what could've happened. Even though she'd been at fault there, and she'd even snapped at him for being mad, he had apologized to her. He might not be overly healthy emotion-wise, but she could deal with that.


	6. The Black Thorn In His Side

It took Patterson a little over two hours to re-appear in the doorway, carrying a stack of files. He deposited the pile of paper on Marcus' desk, taking off the top folder and handing it to Marcus.

"Andrew Kerr. Not currently associated with Wolfram & Hart or the Black Thorn, nor has he ever been affiliated with them in the past. He owned a security company but it went bankrupt due to economical down turns. We served in the army together and kept in touch. He's got the brains to do the job and he's insanely loyal. Just the guy you need." Patterson looked at him expectantly.

Marcus thumbed through the thick file and took in Patterson's words. Deciding that anyone would be better than another one of the Thorn's pawns, he nodded. "Hire him. If he messes up, it's on your plate."

"Yes Sir." Patterson pointed to the stack of papers in front of Marcus. "The rest are records spanning Steve Warner's entire career at Wolfram & Hart. I think you'll find some interesting stuff in there."

Marcus looked up from the file in his hand in amazement. "Good lord! How did you come up with all of this? You've only been gone for a couple of hours!"

"I have my sources," Patterson beamed. "It pays to get to know the people in the mailroom."

"I knew there was a reason I hired you." Marcus gestured to the pile of paper on his desk. "Sit down and grab a file, I'm expecting an emergency Black Thorn meeting before too long."

After leafing through the paperwork for a couple of hours, Marcus found what he was looking for. "This should do it." He handed the file to Patterson. "Read this."

As Patterson was reading, Marcus' computer emitted a chiming sound, indicating an incoming message. _Jessica_. Turning to his screen, he opened the message.

_Remember, you owe me a shirt and underwear. Something red would be nice. You can give them to me when you get home. _

Marcus chuckled, causing Patterson to look up from the file in his hand. "Funny email, Sir?"

"You have no idea," Marcus answered in a neutral tone, then proceeded to type a reply with a crooked grin on his face.

_Make that two shirts and two sets of underwear. I have big plans for tonight. _

Seconds later, she replied.

_Maybe it'd be better if I don't wear any clothes at all then?_

Marcus gulped. That was an image he could do without when there was a crucial meeting in his immediate future.

_Where's the fun in that? Now would you please let me focus on my work instead of pleasant things? And you'd better be dressed when I get home..._

While hitting the 'send' button, Marcus hoped she would understand the light-hearted tone he'd tried to convey. His thoughts drifted off to things they could do when he got home.

A knock on the door jolted him out of his reverie. Peter's head popped around the door. "Your presence is required in the conference room on the second floor, Mr. Hamilton."

_There we go_. "Black Thorn?" Marcus inquired, already knowing the answer.

"Black Thorn," Peter affirmed, then backed out of the office again.

Marcus sighed and stood, addressing Patterson. "You take that file and find me some solid evidence on that matter. Preferably within the hour. Call me on my cell as soon as you find it." Marcus left the office, muttering obscenities about the members of the Black Thorn and their alleged value to the Senior Partners. Patterson processed his assignment for a second and then took off in the opposite direction, carrying the file under his arm.

* * *

Marcus had stalled his entrance into the conference room for half an hour, giving Patterson the much-needed time to come up with proof for Warner's dishonesty. He'd walked around, pestered Team Angel for a bit, flirted with Angel's blonde secretary -- which didn't amuse him nearly as much as it used to -- and generally bored himself to tears. Finally he decided that he'd gotten on the Thorn's nerves sufficiently and that Patterson should have had enough time to at least come up with something. He entered the room and was greeted by icy stares.

"So kind of you to finally grace us with your presence, Mr. Hamilton," Sebassis spoke up, seated at the head of the large table.

"I know. You should see my schedule for today. It's madness." Marcus sat down while rebuking himself. He enjoyed irking these clowns way too much. He attempted to sound cooperative. "What can I do for you today?"

Vail took the lead, speaking with obvious effort. "We have concerns about your performance, Mr. Hamilton. Two matters in particular."

The two sentences took forever to be spoken. _They really shouldn't let Vail do the talking_, Marcus pondered. They had a politician in their folds for God's sake. What good was Senator Brucker if she didn't even get to do the thing politicians were best at? Yammering on and on and on... On second thought, maybe Vail was indeed the better option of the two. Marcus remembered his conversation with Senator Brucker last week and how much he'd wanted to jam a pen through her head. He wasn't too sure he could resist the urge a second time.

Glancing around the table, Marcus took in the variety of demon faces staring him down. He let his gaze linger on the guy with the tail -- _what's his name again... Izzerial?_-- glad that he kept quiet. The guy looked like he was wearing a bad Halloween costume for crying out loud, and Marcus was supposed to take him seriously? Right when he formulated that thought, Izzerial opened his mouth to speak. _Crap_.

"First of all, Senator Brucker and Ed have brought it to the Circle's attention that you seem distracted from our common goal. Can you explain your behavior?"

The condescending tone of his voice rubbed Marcus the wrong way. He rolled his eyes but managed to keep his tone level. "Distracted? Me? I'm as dedicated to the cause as ever."

The members of the Thorn harrumphed and some of them looked downright incredulous. Marcus let his breath escape in an audible puff of exasperation. _To hell with it_. Patience might be a virtue but it had never really appealed to him. _Except with Jessica_. "Well, I could explain, but I don't want to," he stated politely. "Now if that's all..."

"No, that isn't all. Far from it," Sebassis barked. "Senator Brucker has taken the liberty of performing a little investigation of her own and she has come to some interesting conclusions. Senator?" The blue demon gestured for the senator to take over.

_Oh good. She just _has_ to put her two cents in._ Marcus reluctantly turned his attention to the senator. She smiled at him menacingly and got right to the point.

"Well, it seems that the Nader girl is causing all sorts of unpleasant effects in your personality," the woman said smugly. "We've received word that you've abused the Senior Partners' name for your own purposes, you're clearly distracted from your work by that girl, and you generally seem to be making some misguided decisions. But we'll get to those later. What we want to know is why you haven't disposed of the girl yet as you're known to do?"

Marcus' chuckle lacked humor. "I won't ask how you know all that, 'cause I suspect it has something to do with that lowlife Ernesto that keeps popping up everywhere I go. By the way, if I see him again, he's dust. And as far as disposing of her goes, I'm not done with her yet. Not that I owe you an explanation of _any_ kind."

Ed spoke up. "You do owe us some sort of justification. You're the liaison to the Senior Partners and you're supposed to assist us in being the Senior Partners' instruments on Earth. As such, your business is ours."

"That's where you're wrong, Ed. As long as the Senior Partners don't tell you to butt in, I suggest you stay out of my business. Have they asked you to?" Marcus leaned back in his chair and awaited the answer. A long silence told him all he needed to know. He nodded. "That's what I thought."

Marcus was about to go on a tirade when his cell phone rang. Smiling insincerely at the others, he stood, turned away from the table and picked up. "Yeah?"

"Got it," Patterson announced enthusiastically. "You're going to love this."

Marcus couldn't suppress a broad grin. "Thanks. I'm in the conference room on the second floor. Don't bother knocking, we're expecting you."

Finishing the call, Marcus straightened out his face and looked around the table with a carefully crafted neutral expression. "My assistant is on his way over here. He's found out something you might be interested in. But first, let's talk about my misguided decisions, shall we?"

The variety of Black Thorn members all seemed to harbor different emotions concerning Marcus' insubordinate manner. Sebassis seemed furious, while the bulk of the conversation appeared to float past the sickly Vail. Brucker looked as though she was calculating her chances of cutting Marcus down to size, and Izzerial appeared nonplussed. The leader of the Fell Brethren seemed not too worried about his behavior and Marcus got the distinct impression that that ugly, _ugly_ Sahrvin demon didn't understand one word of the argument. Since those six were the major players in the Black Thorn, Marcus didn't deem the others worthy of an assessment. Sebassis was the first to recover, as Marcus had expected. The blue demon might be an arrogant megalomaniac, but he could think on his feet.

"Yes, your misguided decisions." The voice of the archduke was filled with contempt. "Steve Warner was a trusted and valued employee of this firm and now we have to deal with finding a suitable replacement. Explain your reasons for killing him."

"Gladly," Marcus replied cheerfully. "Don't bother finding a replacement though, I've taken care of it." Patterson entered the room, diverting the angry glares cast in Marcus' direction. "Ah, Patterson. Would you mind revealing to Archduke Sebassis why his precious Mr. Warner had to die?"

"It'd be my pleasure, Sir. Well, Archduke, it seems that Steve Warner wasn't as loyal and trustworthy as one might think." Patterson handed out a couple of papers to the people present in the room. "As you can read in these documents, he was executing an elaborate scheme to channel a substantial part of the Black Thorn's liquid assets into a Swiss bank account. Registered to the name of one Steve Warner. If my calculations are in the ballpark, he'd already appropriated somewhere around one million dollars when Mr. Hamilton here had the common sense to eliminate him."

Marcus looked at Patterson with pride. He couldn't have said it better himself. "Thanks, Patterson. Have a seat." Marcus pulled out the chair next to him and patted it, gesturing for the man to sit down.

"Are you sure you want your assistant to be present during this conversation, Mr. Hamilton?" Senator Brucker asked, giving him a long, supposedly meaningful look.

"Yes. There is nothing you can say that Patterson doesn't already know. In fact, I bet he could tell you guys a thing or two." Turning to Patterson, he added sternly, "Don't, though."

"I won't, Sir." Patterson sat down gingerly, taking in the irritated faces across the table.

"Very well then," Sebassis resumed. "It seems that Warner's loss isn't as distressing as we'd initially thought. That leaves only the matter of your defiant and childish behavior. Not to mention you using the Senior Partners' reputation for your own personal gain, as we've managed to piece together from the information Mr. Parker gave us and the things Senator Brucker found out. You remember Mr. Parker, Mr. Hamilton? You ordered him to send a case file to your office so you could keep your little pet human occupied." Sebassis shot him a disdainful look, then continued, "I'm sure the Senior Partners won't take too kindly to that sort of thing."

Marcus shook his head wryly and played his trump card. "Then answer me this, Sebassis. Does it seem right to you that you, the instrument of the Senior Partners on Earth, have no clue as to their identity? While I, a mere lowly servant, know all that and more about them? Does that give you any indication about where their priorities lie?"

"You're bluffing," Senator Brucker asserted, eyes narrowing at him. "Eve knew all that and look where that got her."

"We'll see," Marcus said, rising from his chair. "Have fun in your little land of denial." With that, he left the room. Closing the door behind him and Patterson, he breathed a sigh of relief and grimaced. "That went well, don't you think?"

Patterson smiled. "I'm sure it'll be okay, Sir. I'll order someone to keep tabs on the Black Thorn so we can get a heads up if they're planning something."

"That would be great. Well, I'm calling it a day. Off to tend to my little pet human, so to speak." Marcus made a face at the demeaning nickname. "I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Jessica was trying to cook something special for Marcus but was failing spectacularly. She read the instructions on the sauce can again. The roast should have taken about two hours to cook, but when she attempted to slice it, she discovered it was still frozen on the inside. _Damnit_. _What did I do wrong? _Wiping the sweat from her brow, she looked around frantically for something else to prepare. Salad? There were vegetables... She searched the refrigerator for tomatoes. _Eww_. _Those are waaay past their expiration date_.

Sitting down at the dining table dejectedly, she contemplated sending Marcus a message. Would he like that? Had she interpreted his earlier message correctly? At the time she thought he was teasing her, but he had basically told her to stop sending messages, hadn't he? She reprimanded herself for reading too much into three little sentences. After all, he had work to do, maybe a meeting to attend or an appointment with somebody important. Speaking of work, she hadn't been doing anything all day except for daydreaming about Marcus.

She furrowed her brow. Henderson could wait. Right now, she wanted to soak for a very long time in a very hot bath to relax her sore muscles. She got up and strode to the bathroom purposefully, filling the bathtub with hot water and pouring a copious amount of scented bath oil in it. Shedding her clothes she stepped into the water, sighing as the water enveloped her body. She leaned back and allowed her mind to wander again.

Jessica woke up in a cold bath. _Did I fall asleep?_ She apparently did, judging by the water temperature and the uncomfortable feeling in her neck. Shivering, she got out of the bath tub and toweled herself dry. Choosing her lingerie carefully -- _Marcus said he had big plans so nothing that would be dearly missed _-- she dressed in jeans and a blouse.

On her way back to the kitchen she decided to make pancakes. That was one thing she was actually good at, having done it since she was ten years old. Gathering the necessary ingredients and supplies she set to work. After a couple of minutes, she heard the elevator ding. Through the open kitchen door she observed him entering the apartment and sighed. _He looks sooo good. _Without wasting time he set course for the kitchen.

"Something smells nice in here," he commented as he came to stand behind her, encircling her waist and kissing her neck.

"Pancakes," she declared matter-of-factly. Her voice was steady, which was no mean feat considering that his mouth was turning her knees to jelly. She turned around to offer him her lips.

Obligingly, Marcus kissed her. _I could get used to this_. Resisting his urge to hoist her onto the kitchen counter and take her, he pulled back. "I wasn't talking about the food."

Jessica giggled and flipped over a pancake. "It's supposed to be a sensually scented bath oil. Is it? Smell again. Ooh and feel my skin. It's soft!" She tucked her hair behind one ear, tilting her head so that a large portion of her neck was bared.

Marcus groaned. _Evil woman_. He was starting to understand the allure of vampirism. "Pancakes _and_ a sensually scented woman in my kitchen. I must be in heaven."

She slapped his chest with her spatula. "Careful or you won't get a taste of either one."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Watch the innuendo, little girl. Remember who you're talking to."

"Right, 'cause you're the Master of Double Entendres," she scoffed playfully, letting the pancake slide onto a plate and pouring some more batter in the pan.

Marcus smirked. "I like that title. Especially the Master part. You think you could get used to calling me that?" He ducked to avoid the spatula she threw at his head. "You should really work on that temper of yours. People might get hurt."

"I'm not calling you Master, but I'll call you some other things if you keep insulting me," Jessica stated firmly, yelping in surprise as Marcus suddenly lifted her up and deposited her on the kitchen island behind them.

He moved to stand between her legs, caressing the still exposed skin of her neck. "Like what?" he inquired in a silky low voice, sending shivers down her spine.

She swallowed hard, trying to remember what they were talking about. "Um... I'm sure I can think of something."

"I bet you can." Marcus dipped his head down to capture her lips, halting his movement when his face was only an inch away from hers.

"Oh you're going to kiss me now?" Jessica inquired breathlessly. "You're so predictable."

"People like predictable," he assured her and took her in his arms, kissing her tenderly.

Her heart swelled at the softness of his touch and she put her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. Intensifying the kiss, he slid his hands under her buttocks and pulled her up. Her hands started to fumble at his shirt and unbuttoned it halfway, only to realize he still wore his tie and suit jacket. She broke the kiss and swiftly removed his jacket, then took his tie and dragged him closer again. Instead of kissing her, he nuzzled her neck, alternately licking and sucking the sensitive skin. She desperately tried to loosen the tie knot but didn't succeed. A frustrated groan escaped her.

"Let me get that," he chuckled softly and proceeded to take the thing off, eyes never leaving hers.

Jessica felt the familiar tingling in her belly at his intense gaze. "Take the shirt off," she ordered, eyes cloudy with passion and hands already going for his belt.

His hand went up to cup her chin. "No."

She looked at him questioningly, confusion settling on her features. "No?"

"Well, not here," he corrected himself. _Damn_. What was he doing? Ever since he'd moved into this apartment he'd wanted to have sex on the kitchen island; he'd just saved it for a special opportunity he knew would come. Now said opportunity presented itself -- on a silver platter he might add -- and he declined?

"What's wrong with here?" Jessica asked huskily, taking in the surroundings. "As good a place as any, I would say."

Marcus sighed and accepted the fact that he apparently was keeping himself from having sex on the kitchen island. "I don't want to rush this just yet. Eventually we'll get to the kitchen but right now we still need a bed."

She nodded slowly, a sweet smile gracing her lips. "Okay."

Lifting her up in his arms, Marcus made his way to the bedroom. "I'm able to walk by myself just fine," Jessica protested.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to do something about that," Marcus snickered, tossing her on the bed and pouncing on her. She greedily kissed him and let her hands roam free while he shed his shirt.

Suddenly she pulled away. "Pancakes!" she exclaimed in horror. "They're ruined!"

Taken by surprise, Marcus let himself be shoved away and followed her back into the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks to stare sullenly at the blackened contents of the frying pan. "The one thing I actually _can_ cook and I mess it up," she said, voice trembling.

Marcus took her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry. The other pancakes are still fine." Not sure about the right course of action, he settled for stroking her hair. "You know, they'll taste even better after we've worked up an appetite." He winked and smiled crookedly, eliciting a giggle from her.

"Cold pancakes taste better anyway," she perked up. "Race you to the bedroom?"

"Sure," Marcus agreed. "What does the winner get?"

"A night out," Jessica blurted out, then took off running.

Marcus followed suit. _A night out_, he pondered. What was the harm in that? Could she have been pretending she was starting to like him? Was she still trying to find a way to escape? Or did she genuinely want to go out with him? He couldn't blame her if that were the case; she'd only been out of the apartment on Saturday, spending the rest of the week basically imprisoned. He weighed the pros and cons against each other in his mind, not really wanting to deny her the pleasure. Besides, if she did try to escape, then at least he'd know where he stood; it wasn't like she _could_ actually escape him. If she didn't, they'd have a nice night and she'd be happy. Which was a win-win situation. He liked her happy. Why was that again? Right. Breaking her. It had nothing to do with her smile or the look in her eyes.

She had a two second head start, and although he was closing the gap between them rapidly, she won. Bouncing on the bed excitedly, she grinned up at him. "Well? When are we going out?"

_She's so sweet_. Marcus frowned at the thought. She was, but did he really have to point that out to himself? It only complicated matters. Deciding that he'd think about it later, but still wanting some distance between them for a second, he removed his pants and folded them over a chair. "Wednesday night sound okay? We could go to the theatre if you like."

"Sure!" Jessica couldn't believe his words. This was proof that he saw her as his girlfriend. If she'd still been his captive, he'd never have agreed to going out. She was so lucky. Maybe he'd come into her life in a rather unusual way, but right now it felt so good. "Um... why are you folding your pants? Isn't it customary to drop them right where you take them off if you're about to have sex?"

He smiled to himself. Who was he kidding? He couldn't resist her and it was time he'd admit it. Why did he fret so much about his feelings anyway? He could just live in the moment and enjoy this while it lasted. Worrying about when it was going to end wasn't going to help matters; if anything, it would speed up the process of getting bored. Marcus turned around and took in her fully clothed figure lying on his bed. "Getting impatient, are we?"

"Uh-huh." She stretched, at least partially aware of the sensual picture she presented. "Coming?"

Marcus contemplated calling her on the double meaning of her question but refrained from it. _Nah. Too easy_. "Not until you lose the clothes," he smirked, waiting to see what she'd do. There was no way he'd stay away from her for longer than twenty seconds, but she didn't know that. Nor did she have to.

Blushing, Jessica decided that she had no reason to be coy anymore. She basically just told him to get his cute butt into bed so they could have sex, so why did the concept of her undressing while he was watching her make her nervous? She slowly rose from the bed, straightening her shoulders and swallowing hard. _Here we go_. Eyes locking with his, she unbuttoned her blouse and let it slide to the floor. Praying she wouldn't stumble, she stepped out of her jeans, now only dressed in her underwear.

Marcus gulped, trying to repress the urge to remove the remaining garments himself. "Go on." His voice was urgent, and for a moment he doubted that she'd continue.

Then her hands went up to unclasp her bra and she tossed it aside. Hooking her thumb in the elastic waistband of her panties she hesitated, until Marcus decided to return the favor and rid himself of his boxers. Encouraged by his obvious excitement, she quickly disposed of the last item of her clothing and stood still, unsure of what to do next. She needn't have worried, because Marcus was on her in a second, pulling her flush against him and kissing her oh so tenderly. He backed her up to the bed and softly manoeuvred her to lie down, sitting down next to her and exploring her body with skilful, gentle hands.

Jessica reached for him and he complied, draping his long body alongside hers. For what seemed like hours, they kissed and his hands caressed her everywhere, never speeding up or becoming more demanding. She in turn took her time getting to know his body, kneading, stroking and kissing him all over. She loved to touch him; he was so beautiful -- muscular, with surprisingly soft skin over hard muscles.

Unexpectedly, Marcus was enjoying himself without feeling an instant and barely repressible need for gratification. It was a welcome change. Every time he found a particularly sensitive spot, she reciprocated by discovering an equally pleasant area of his body, some of those never explored before. His usual bed partners were either too scared to do anything but endure, or they were too caught up in the pleasure his hands and mouth brought them. _Or both_.

Jessica's touch was gradually becoming more urgent, her hands moving to his nether regions more often than not. Covering her body with his, he kissed her deeply, then moving his mouth to her neck, biting down gently as he entered her. Moaning loudly, she held his head in place and wrapped her legs around his hips. Determined to take it slowly, Marcus set his pace with long and steady thrusts. She moved in perfect unison with him.

Watching her face intently, Marcus noticed a sheen of sweat forming on her brow. She had closed her eyes tightly and her gasps indicated that she was getting close to the edge. He sped up, capturing her mouth in a searing kiss as she climaxed. Nearing his own release, he felt the need to have her acknowledge him. "Open your eyes," he demanded, his voice barely a whisper. She did, gazing up into his eyes and holding on to his shoulders as he drove into her harder and faster. His movements became erratic and he muttered, "Mine."

_Mine?_ Jessica thought, as they lay spent. Was that a good thing? She couldn't deny the possessiveness in his voice made her all kinds of warm and tingly inside, but at the same time she couldn't shake a vague uncomfortable feeling in the back of her mind. Attributing it to an overactive imagination for now, she stroked his hair gently, admiring his chiseled features. He looked almost serene with his eyes closed. As on cue he opened them, smiling slightly.

Suddenly overcome with emotion, Jessica cleared her throat. "Come on. Pancakes."

"You go ahead. I want to enjoy the view." Marcus propped himself up on one elbow while Jessica headed for the kitchen. "Niiiice," he drawled, laughing when she shot him an annoyed glare over her shoulder.

After she left, Marcus stretched and folded his hands behind his head. There was something bothering him but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe it was the fact that he contemplated letting her go alive when he'd get bored. That moment would come, it was inevitable. It always came, although granted, usually a lot sooner. It could just be that he wasn't used to having someone around all the time; someone who talked to him, took care of him and was worried about him. Maybe that was the reason he was reluctant to kill her. Then again, the mere fact that she should be lying cold and stiff in a pool of her own blood already but was still warm and very much alive and in his bed, didn't mean that there was something wrong. He didn't have to stick to a routine or something; he wasn't a freaking serial killer. Maybe it just unnerved him because he'd unwittingly gotten stuck in a rut. Changing one's ways always brought about a certain level of uncomfortableness, so why should he be any different? God, he'd been in the mother of all ruts, one that'd lasted centuries. Scolding himself for overanalyzing his feelings he rose from the bed. He chuckled. _Feelings. There was a time I didn't even have those_.


	7. Where The Bleep Is Patterson?

_Tuesday_

Marcus hurried down the halls of Wolfram & Hart. He was late. Not only had he overslept, but he had also proven himself unable to resist the charms of a freshly showered Jessica. A broad grin formed on his face when he thought about her. He glanced over today's schedule in his mind. As far as he knew, he had no important appointments planned, so maybe he could take the afternoon off and spend it with her.

He opened the door to his office to find Patterson perched on the chair in front of his desk. At the sound of the door opening, Patterson looked up from the file he was reading. "Good morning Sir."

"Morning, Patterson." Marcus frowned. "Sorry I'm late. Did we have an appointment?"

"No, Sir," Patterson said. "It's just that I kind of stopped having my own office space. See, I'm not in Research anymore --"

"Consider it taken care of," Marcus declared. "Now you're here, let's talk strategy." He walked over to his chair and sat down. "Team Angel. What are they up to?"

Patterson straightened his back. "Not much good, Sir. Well, technically, a lot of good, but not from the firm's perspective. I've heard some rumors that I'm about to check out, and I'm reading up on the individual members of the team. There's one that puzzles me though."

Marcus nodded. "Let me guess. Charles Gunn, the street kid turned brilliant lawyer? Winifred Burkle aka the Blue Bitch? Spike who mysteriously re-appeared after being burned to death in a hellmouth? Or the Big Chief of Redemption himself who seems to be suffering from delusions of grandeur lately?"

"None of those, Sir." Patterson pointed at the file in front of him. "Mr. Wyndham-Pryce. It says in his file that he shot a robot in the chest five times, thinking it was his father. I can't understand why the firm didn't try to persuade him to join our side."

Marcus was taken aback for a moment. "Did he really? Let me see that." Thumbing through the file, Marcus had to admit that the firm had been deprived of a wonderful opportunity. He doubted the Partners were in the loop on this one, seeing as he himself hadn't heard about it. At all. "Find out where those cyborgs came from." He leaned back in his chair, arms folded behind his head, and added pensively, "I smell conspiracy."

After a short while of discussing Angel and his associates further, Patterson exited the room, leaving Marcus to think and eventually answer some long overdue emails. Wyndham-Pryce had shot a cyborg, truly believing the thing to be his father. That didn't sound like the sort of thing that would escape the Senior Partners' attention. It didn't matter if it had been to save Winifred Burkle's life; being responsible for the death of one your parents -- even if said parent was a condescending piece of scum -- didn't go over smoothly. _I should know_. He shook the sudden thought, cursing himself for having allowed Jessica to rake the memory up.

_Jessica_. As always his thoughts returned to her, something that didn't help him focus on his current Black Thorn predicament. Idly, he wondered what she would be preparing for dinner that night. She hadn't been lying when she'd told him that she couldn't cook, although the pancakes she'd made yesterday had been exceptionally good. A bright idea hit him. He could have Patterson find a cookbook or something like that. Hadn't she complained about not knowing what to prepare anymore that morning? He dialed Patterson's number. After a few rings, his assistant picked up.

"Could you pick up a cookbook somewhere?" Marcus asked without introduction.

"Throwing the Senior Partners a dinner party, Sir?" Patterson snickered, then turned serious. "Sorry Sir. I'm sure it can't be that hard to get a hold of one of those. Should I have it delivered to your office?"

"Yes please. Make it fast." Marcus ended the call and leaned back. Maybe he could even underline some recipes he liked before taking it downstairs to Jessica.

Jessica finally gathered enough focus to submerge herself in the world of environmental law again. She had been thinking about Marcus for two hours straight since he left and that apparently had worn her busy mind out, because now she was able to read through the files without her thoughts drifting off to pleasant thoughts of the previous nights.

She sat herself on the sofa Indian style, a notepad on her lap, a brilliant idea forming in her mind. Mr. Parker had attached a short hand-written summary of the case, including some of the problems he'd encountered while researching. She started writing down a list of the bottlenecks and proceeded to try and formulate a way around each of them. Soon she was absorbed in finding suitable solutions to the most urgent matters.

Uncharacteristically, Marcus had replied to every email in his inbox around lunchtime. He rose from his chair to look out the window. What was taking Patterson so long? How hard could it be to locate a cookbook? Wolfram & Hart had records of virtually everything, so there had to be something cooking-related in the archives somewhere. Then again, the archives consisted of a whole dimension filled with books, files and other paperwork. Maybe that was what kept Patterson busy.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. "Come in."

A deliveryman entered the room. "Delivery for Mr. Hamilton." He handed Marcus a clipboard and a pen. "Sign here." After Marcus signed the slip of paper, the man was gone as quickly as he'd come in.

He unpacked the package and found two cookbooks. _Then where the hell is Patterson? _He stormed out of his office. Peter looked up, taken aback by Marcus' furious expression. "Sir?"

"Where's Patterson?" Marcus set to pacing in front of Peter's desk. "He should have been back here hours ago, damnit."

"Maybe he got held up, Sir. Have you tried calling him?" Peter ventured, desperately trying to be of assistance.

Marcus perked up. That was a pretty good idea. He dialed Patterson's number for the second time that morning. After a few rings somebody answered. "Patterson?" Marcus barked. The connection went dead. Looking at his cell phone with concern, he felt his anger rising. What was going on? Had Patterson double-crossed him? Had something happened to the man? Marcus turned to Peter. "When was the last time you saw him?"

Peter thought for a moment. "When he left your office, Sir."

"And you haven't seen or heard from him since?" Marcus frowned. Patterson had betrayed him or something had occurred that prevented him from answering his phone. Either way, it did not bode well. _Damn!_ Just when things were going relatively well.

The young man's face lit up. "There were men here earlier, asking about Mr. Patterson. Maybe they know where he is."

Rolling his eyes, Marcus decided to not waste time on reprimanding him. "Did you happen to catch their names? Never mind. I already know you didn't. Call me the instant you hear anything from Patterson." He headed toward the door, slamming it shut behind him. _Now where to begin? _

His gut feeling told him Patterson had been taken by the men asking for him, and Marcus was reasonably certain the Black Thorn was behind it. _Okay, now think, damnit_. Who in the Black Thorn had the brain, the nerve and the resources to kidnap his personal assistant in the middle of the day in the Wolfram & Hart building? _Sebassis_. After the demise of the archduke's right hand demon Artode, Sebassis' guards had been loyal, but lacked the glue that held them together. Which provided him with an opening to get his assistant back.

He hurried down the corridor to the elevator, then paused as a thought hit him. Would they really have taken him to Sebassis' estate? If the order to kidnap Patterson had originated from the archduke, he probably had taken into account that Marcus would come looking for him. To save time, maybe it'd be best if he did a security sweep of the Wolfram & Hart building first. He turned on his heels and headed for Andrew Kerr's office. It might be the man's first day working for the firm but he'd just have to adjust.

Kerr looked at him suspiciously as Marcus burst into his office. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Marcus Hamilton, also known as the reason you've gotten this job. Your friend Chris Patterson is missing," Marcus cut to the chase. Off the confused look on Kerr's face, he continued. "Get me the camera feeds for my office and do a full security sweep."

Kerr composed himself and made a call. "They're waiting for us in the security office. Let's go."

Thankful for the man's quick recovery, Marcus strode into the corridor again. "So, how's your first day?"

"It _was_ pretty quiet for a big firm, Mr. Hamilton, but I guess that's about to change," Kerr answered. "What do you know about Chris' disappearance?"

Marcus shook his head. "Not much. There were two men asking for him this morning. He was supposed to check in with me hours ago. I've made some enemies recently and I'm pretty sure they took him. I suspect that a demon called Sebassis is behind it."

"Why do you think that?" Kerr inquired. "And... a demon?"

_Oh dear_. This was not the time to explain about vampires and demons and whatnot. "Yeah. Demons are real. Don't ask."

"I know that. Hell, five of my employees are vampires. I'm just surprised that demons take part in something so... mundane as kidnapping," Kerr mused.

Arriving at the security office, Marcus shoved the man in front of him. "You take the lead. They answer to you so first thing: assert the fact that you're their superior."

Kerr looked back at him for a second. "I _have_ done this before, you know." With that, he opened the door and asked for the camera feeds in a demanding tone.

Within minutes, Marcus and Kerr were sitting in front of a computer screen, checking the surveillance tapes from that morning. As soon as the camera showed the men entering Marcus' office, he recognized them. "What the...!"

Kerr started asking for other tapes to try and figure out where the men were headed after they'd left Marcus' office, but Marcus interrupted him. "No need. I know where he is."

"Great, let's go get him." Kerr rose from his chair. "Where to?"

"You're not coming. I can handle these men." Marcus wondered briefly how much Patterson had told his friend about him, because Kerr flinched a little -- barely visible, but it was a flinch nonetheless. "Go back to work." Kerr nodded and Marcus strode to the elevator, pressing the button for the fifth floor.

He headed for a door in a quiet part of the building. Not bothering to knock, he burst into the room, startling the three occupants. Patterson was one of them, lying on the floor visibly battered. There was blood oozing out of his nose and mouth and he was cradling himself in a fetal position. "One of you morons wanna tell me what this is all about?" Marcus addressed the two guilty looking goons that stood beside his wounded assistant.

"Mr. Hamilton," the taller of the two replied meekly. "We didn't know he was yours. We had orders to--"

Marcus cut him off with a brusque gesture of his hand. "I don't want to hear it. Get lost. Now."

The two men hurriedly left the room, speaking in hushed but agitated voices. Marcus helped Patterson up and scanned his body for severe injuries. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Mind if I borrow this?" Patterson wiped the blood off his face with Marcus' tie.

Marcus blinked. Patterson was rapidly becoming accustomed to his position as Marcus' assistant. _Probably a little too accustomed_. He didn't really mind the stains on his tie; there were ten more where it came from. He was just not sure if he was comfortable with someone being that comfortable around him. "Well, I guess I should start calling you Chris. Your blood is on my tie after all."

"That would be nice, Sir." Patterson gingerly touched his nose and wiggled it. "Am I still pretty?"

Marcus let out a surprised laugh at his assistant's boldness. "Let's not go there. Seriously, what is wrong with you? When did I stop being intimidating?"

"Right around the time you asked for a cookbook, Sir. Did the books arrive on time?" Patterson limped to the door. Marcus followed him, a slight frown creasing his brow.

"Yes, got them this morning. I'd appreciate it if you'd stop poking fun at me though," Marcus admonished.

They walked back to Marcus' office in companiable silence. Marcus glanced at Patterson's profile. "Go home, Chris. Let your wife patch you up."

"Thank you, Sir. I'll see you tomorrow." Patterson shot him a grateful look and left.

The rest of Marcus' afternoon was spent in relative peace and quiet. He plotted bloody vengeance against Patterson's kidnappers and made some calls to arrange for appointments later in the week. Remembering his intention to go home early he looked at his watch. _Time to go_.

_Wednesday_

Marcus stretched and yawned. He'd slept like a log; lately he slept better than ever. It didn't take a genius to figure out why that was. Last night had gone by quickly, they had watched a movie together and made small talk. Naturally, they'd had sex again. It seemed like it was only getting better. She was getting more courageous, sometimes trying to take the lead. Of course, he couldn't let that happen. _Yet_. Since he was treading on new territory anyway, he might consider encouraging that behavior at some point in the near future.

In all the confusion surrounding Patterson's abduction, Marcus had forgotten to take the cookbooks with him when he went home Tuesday night. Jessica had prepared a non-descript dish that looked vaguely chicken-shaped, and tasted accordingly.

She had been pleased to hear that he'd found her something to help her cook better. She'd learned by now that Marcus didn't need to eat, but _she_ still did. Anything to make the food she prepared more tasty was greatly appreciated. She'd said she couldn't expect Marcus to bring take-out every day; neither could she ask him to cook at night while she'd been sitting around the apartment all day. So yes, she had been happy about finally being able to offer him something beside barely edible meals.

Glancing at the still sleeping figure next to him, Marcus rose from the bed silently and showered. He contemplated the day ahead while dressing himself. In the course of the day, Patterson would hopefully come up with news on Team Angel's schemes to bring Wolfram & Hart down from the inside. Marcus didn't doubt for a second that Angel and his crew were hatching a dim-witted plan like that. The vampire might be a champion for the Powers, but he certainly wasn't the brains of the operation. That questionable honor fell to Wyndham-Pryce now that the Burkle girl had been infected by Illyria.

With the death of his beloved Fred, though, Wyndham-Pryce had lost whatever common sense he'd possessed and at present he was walking around like a lunatic. The crazy giggle he would utter every now and then was downright unsettling. Marcus strongly suspected that the man was looking to get himself killed, and as a result, he would sign up for any idiotic and far-fetched campaign that Angel could come up with. And Marcus was certain that, without a sane Wyndham-Pryce to rein the vampire in, Angel's plans could not be anything else than utterly stupid. Case in point: trying to kill Illyria without thinking about the considerable asset she could prove to be to the so-called good fight. Oh well, his loss was the Partners' gain. He didn't rule out the possibility that Illyria would revert to Angel's side, as opposed to the fairly neutral stance she had taken the last couple of weeks. He assumed Illyria's loyalty lay with the Englishman, because of the memories she shared with Winifred Burkle. Where Wyndham-Pryce went, Illyria wasn't far behind. _Like a lovesick puppy_. He was pretty sure that was not at all helpful to preserve the man's mental health. If there was any left, that was.

He made some coffee and decided against waking Jessica up. It would be better if he arrived at work on time today. Yesterday was the first time he'd been late in, well, ever. It wasn't like anybody was going to call him on that fact; it was just that he'd always prided himself on being punctual. Overly punctual, some might say, but Marcus wasn't one of those people. To him, being on time meant being able to chide others for being late and that was always a lot of fun when people were as scared of someone as they were of him.

Acting on a whim, he searched for a piece of paper and a pen to leave Jessica a message. He hesitated for a moment before placing the note on the pillow next to her. She'd find it and she'd read it and she'd think of him. The thought made him feel content, and he left the apartment with a smile on his face.

Jessica woke up to the sound of the front door closing. Marcus must have left already, so that left her with no chance of some pre-breakfast fun. She sighed wistfully and turned around, intent on sleeping some more before she'd have to get up and face the challenges of finding something to cook without the use of a cookbook. She caught sight of a piece of paper on Marcus' pillow. Reaching for it, her eyes scanned the words, wondering what he'd deemed worthy to write a note about.

_Good morning sunshine,_

_Hope you have a great day. I'll be thinking of you._

_M_

_PS: I'll be back later to drop off those books... wear something easily accessible!_

A wide grin formed on her face as she read the words. It was just a silly note, probably written just to convey his feelings to her without actually saying it. Like men were known to do. He'd come back later that day and judging from his words, he was planning on having a midday quickie. Well, she could live with that. Going over her wardrobe in her mind, she decided on wearing a short summer dress. The only thing Marcus would have to do was zip it open and she'd be virtually naked. Just thinking about it made the tingly feeling in her abdomen return. She got up, showered and got dressed.

Marcus was just about to lower himself on the chair behind his desk when Patterson burst into his office, panting like he'd just been chased. Marcus raised one eyebrow at him. "Good morning. Something wrong?"

"Not really Sir. Good morning. I was hiding from Senator Brucker. I got the distinct impression she wanted to talk to me, and I figured that wasn't the best of ideas right now." Patterson plopped down in his usual chair.

"Good call. How's your face?" Marcus inquired.

"Ruggedly handsome as always, Sir." Patterson produced a slip of paper from his inside pocket. "Seems like I didn't have to pry too hard to find out our fearless leader's plans. That blonde bombshell might not be smart but she's got vampire hearing. And she likes me."

"Harmony likes everybody," Marcus muttered, extending his hand. "Let me see that."

As Marcus had suspected, Angel was planning on taking down Wolfram & Hart from the inside. What made Marcus chuckle, however, was the fact that Angel thought the Black Thorn was the means to do that. There had to be a way he could use that to his advantage. He started mapping out a strategy in his mind, incorporating Angel's innate stupidity and the annoyance the Black Thorn presented to himself.

He was about to divulge his plans to Patterson when Peter stuck his head around the door tentatively. "Mr. Hamilton. Bad news, Sir."

A little annoyed by the interruption Marcus looked up. "What is it?"

"It's the Senior Partners, Sir. They want to talk to you." The look on Peter's face spoke volumes as he retreated and closed the door quietly.

Marcus sighed. _There we go_. So much for dropping the cookbooks off at his apartment and indulging in the pleasures of the flesh, so to speak. Not wanting to disappoint Jessica, he took a piece of paper, wrote down a series of numbers and handed it to Patterson along with the key to his apartment. "Can you drop off those books at my apartment? This is the combination for the elevator. Burn it or eat it as soon as you get there."

Patterson raised his eyebrows in surprise, then composed himself. "Consider it done, Sir. Go get 'em."

"Thanks." Marcus rose to his feet and strode to the elevator purposefully.

Jessica was in the kitchen pouring herself a drink when the front door opened. Assuming Marcus had come home to drop off the books, she put the carton back in the refrigerator and headed to the living room. Not bothering to look who had come in, she said seductively, "You only have to unzip it and I'm all yours."

The man looking back at her in amusement wasn't Marcus. "Mind if I take a rain check, Miss Nader? I don't think Mr. Hamilton would approve." He placed the books he was holding on the living room table and smiled at her congenially.

Jessica eyed the stranger warily and considered her options. She couldn't flee; she didn't have the key to the front door. He didn't look dangerous, but could you really tell from someone's appearance? She backed up into the kitchen. "Who are you?"

"Chris Patterson. Personal assistant to Mr. Hamilton. He had an important meeting to attend, so he asked me to drop these off." He pointed to the books on the table. "Which reminds me." The man fished a slip of paper out of his pocket and stuck it in his mouth. With a look of mild disgust on his face, he started munching on it.

Bewildered, Jessica decided this man was probably not much of a threat. "What are you doing?"

"Just obeying orders." Patterson observed her closely while chewing ardently. After he'd swallowed the lump of paper, he cleared his throat. "Pardon my impudence, Miss, but you don't seem overly vexed by being held here against your will."

She bit her lip. He knew? Had Marcus told him? And how long ago? She'd been pretty sure he hadn't seen her as his captive for a couple of days now, but if this man knew about their situation, she might have been wrong. Then again, maybe Marcus had told him as soon as he'd captured her. The fact that this man didn't know about the change in their relationship said nothing in itself; it just meant that Marcus didn't discuss his feelings with his assistant. Which made sense when you thought about it. She decided to divulge the situation to Patterson.

"It's not like that," Jessica explained. "It used to be, but things changed. He's very sweet once you get to know him."

Patterson choked. "Sweet?" he spluttered, then nodded thoughtfully. "I guess he is, when you think away the evilness and the bloodlust."

"That's not who he is," Jessica defended Marcus. "He's actually very nice, although maybe you could say he... has issues."

_Poor girl_, Patterson mused. Then again, he couldn't be sure his employer didn't reciprocate her feelings. Hamilton had after all spared the lives of him and his family when he'd had every right to terminate them. _At least according to the Wolfram & Hart code of honor_. That had to mean something had changed within Hamilton's mind. Patterson had heard tons of stories of employees being brutally tortured and slaughtered by his current boss; none of them had been spared like he'd been. Plus, the man seemed blatantly happy lately. Even to the point that it got uncanny. Still, Patterson enjoyed working for him. Hamilton seemed to appreciate his talents and really valued his opinion, something that his supervisor in Research had been lacking in.

"Hey, you don't have to convince me," Patterson said, hands raised in an apologetic gesture. "I like the guy. It's a pleasure working for him when I'm not being kidnapped or held at knife point."

Jessica smiled tiredly. "Guess nothing about this place is ordinary, huh?"

"Nope," Patterson agreed. "Wolfram & Hart is pretty much the poster firm for bizarre. But it pays the bills. And amply so, I might add." He prepared to leave. Opening the door, he turned back to her with an unreadable expression on his face. "It was nice to meet you, Miss Nader. Take care of yourself."

Marcus headed down the long corridor leading to the Senior Partners' quarters. He'd expected this meeting sooner or later, but had hoped it would be a little later. Later would have provided him with enough time to work out the kinks in his plan before he'd have to set it into motion. He would have liked to discuss it with Patterson first. Halting in front of a large double door, he dismissed any feelings of concern. They weren't of any use right now. He pushed open both doors.

Seated in the middle of the room at a large rectangular table were two men. A third man was standing in front of a large window, facing away from him. He didn't bother to turn around when Marcus entered.

The seated men looked at him with identical blank expressions on their faces. One of them was an Asian looking man, while the other had a distinctive South American look with tanned skin and black hair, like an Aztec or an Incan man. Both of them were immaculately dressed in a suit with matching ties. Of course, this was just the appearance they chose when they visited this dimension, and Marcus knew what they looked like in their original state. It wasn't pretty.

Marcus turned his attention to the man standing by the window, the third Partner. It was a tall black man, and his clothes were considerably more modern than those of the other Partners. His hands were folded behind his back and he appeared very much at ease in the lush office. He was never one to interfere in the meetings though; the third Partner usually kept quiet, only speaking when his opinion was required. He always gave the impression he'd rather be somewhere else. Which was an emotion Marcus could relate to right now. _Jessica_.

With a shock he realized he'd just done something appallingly stupid. He'd sent Patterson to his apartment. While he'd been certain the vampires he'd sent to deliver groceries on her first day wouldn't help her escape, he couldn't be sure about Patterson. The man seemed to have a conscience, and could probably be convinced to let her go by sufficient crying and pleading. Well, there was nothing he could do about it right now. It would be a shame if Patterson had let her out; he'd miss having an assistant who was actually helpful. He'd find Jessica in a heartbeat, that wasn't even an issue. If she had gotten him to release her however, it would mean that their last days together had been a lie, and that was a thought that bothered him more than he cared to admit. A polite cough shook him from his self-deprecation.

Knowing from experience the best thing to do was to let the Partners start the conversation, Marcus sunk down in a chair opposite the two men.

"Marcus," Tezcatlipoca, the Aztec man, acknowledged him. "Kuan-Yu, Gaunab and myself thought it was time for a re-evaluation of your status as liaison to us."

An exasperated huff from Gaunab, the man by the window, indicated that he didn't necessarily agree with anything Tezcatlipoca was about to disclose. Kuan-Yu however nodded enthusiastically at the mention of his name.

Marcus rolled his eyes. "Black Thorn complained about my 'insolent and childish' manner?"

"Basically, yes." Kuan-Yu leaned forward. "That Sebassis is a cocky bastard, isn't he?"

"Don't get me started," Marcus sighed. "You haven't even dealt with him in person. It took me quite some willpower to refrain from taking one of his horns and beating him to death with it."

Kuan-Yu nodded understandingly. "He does seem to conceive his position in the Black Thorn as irreplaceable."

Tezcatlipoca spoke up. "Can we get back to the matter at hand please? Sebassis has brought it to our attention that you once again have indulged in your need for... shall we say entertainment? He says the girl distracts you and causes you to 'make misguided decisions'. He suggests you should be expunged from existence and then fired, effective immediately. Which seems rather redundant, to be honest."

Gaunab, still by the window, chuckled in a sinister manner. Marcus briefly observed the man's back, then turned his attention back to Tezcatlipoca. "Get to the point."

"Play nice, Marcus," Tezcatlipoca berated sternly. "It's not wise to rub the Black Thorn the wrong way. We need them."

Marcus scoffed. "Need them? What for?"

Fed up with Marcus' behavior, Tezcatlipoca raised his voice. "Enough. This is not why we summoned you here. Why is that girl still alive? If she interferes with the execution of our plans, kill her. There is no room for negotiation. We've been patient enough as it is."


	8. Meet The Partners

Gaunab finally turned to face the table. "Keep your pants on, Tez. You're starting to come off all superior and you should know by now Marcus doesn't take kindly to that." He winked at Marcus and continued. "So be careful 'cause the man could whoop your ass."

Marcus smiled smugly. "You bet I could. Thanks for the intervention, Matt."

"I don't understand why you don't want to go by your actual name, Gaunab," Kuan-Yu complained. "I can't get used to calling you Matunde."

"Tina likes it. And you don't seem to have any trouble remembering Marcus' name, K," Matt pointed out glibly, plopping down in the seat next to Marcus. "So what's up with that? Besides, if it strains your mind that much, just call me Matt."

"Marcus has chosen his name two millennia ago, Matunde," Tezcatlipoca lectured, stressing the name slightly. "We've had some time to grow accustomed to it. Give us another century or so and we'll adapt to yours too."

Matt harrumphed but kept quiet. Tezcatlipoca turned back to Marcus. "Now, as I was saying. The girl. Explain."

"And as I was about to say before Matt tooted my horn--" A disturbed glare from Matt interrupted him. "Okay, rephrasing that. Before Matt justly assumed I could kick your ass seven ways from Sunday, I was about to say that it was none of your business, Tez."

"We're still curious though," Matt grinned devilishly. "Come on, M. Spill the beans. What makes this one so special?"

"Who said anything about special?" Marcus huffed. "I'm just not bored yet. Which is a first, I admit, but hardly something to get all excited about. Now would you please get off my back?"

"Tina's been giving me hell about it all night. Something about leaving you alone to figure things out on your own." Matt shook his head, obviously bewildered by his wife's attitude.

"Have I mentioned I like Tina?" Marcus smirked. "How did a woman with that much common sense end up with you? It's mystifying."

Tezcatlipoca heaved an irritated sigh. "Back to the subject, please. If you don't want to talk about the girl then could you enlighten us on why you insisted on infuriating the entire Black Thorn? Did that seem like a good idea to you at the time? 'Cause I've got to tell you, from up here it sounded pretty stupid."

Rolling his eyes, Marcus leaned back in his chair. "They are a conceited, arrogant bunch of lower demons." Mimicking Senator Brucker's voice, he bawled, "I'm sooo gonna tell on you to the Senior Partners and they are sooo gonna fire you!" He shrugged. "I don't see why we're wasting our time on those clowns when we can just take care of business ourselves. Which is much more fun too."

"We've been using the Black Thorn's services for centuries now. I acknowledge that they have gradually become less useful to us, but it's still too risky to take them all out just because you carry a grudge," Kuan-Yu asserted.

"That's where my brilliant plan comes in, K." Marcus smiled. It was all coming together. "You see, the dim-witted vampire you have appointed Head Cheese of Wolfram & Hart -- against my better judgment -- seems to think the apocalypse is nigh. And the funny part is: he plans on destroying the Black Thorn to stop it."

The other three men stared at him in puzzlement. "Can he do that?" Kuan-Yu inquired curiously.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Marcus said. "He's probably got Illyria on his team by now. Wyndham-Pryce's got a death wish so he's in. Spike can't resist a good brawl and Charles Gunn might be only human, but he's been itching for a fight to avenge Winifred Burkle's death. That leaves the singing demon and most likely McDonald. Which might not seem like much, but McDonald kind of hates us since we put him in the 'burbs. I'm pretty sure he hasn't figured out yet that the Thorn isn't as important as it used to be. And then Angel... let's just say that he's been waiting his entire un-life for this opportunity."

"To quote a kindred spirit we all know and love: Get to the point," Matt snickered. "Lengthy explanations bore me to tears."

"Yes, eight sentences indeed constitute reason enough to zone out," Marcus retorted sarcastically. "Airhead."

"In short: the team is juiced up and ready to kick some Black Thorn booty?" Matt summed up to prove he had actually been listening.

"Yep. That gets the Thorn of our back. Angel deals with Sebassis' troops, and if one or more of the Angel crew survives, they'll think they've stopped the world from ending, which provides us with more than enough time to prepare the actual apocalypse."

Tezcatlipoca nodded, clearly impressed. "I must say, as far as brilliant plans go... that isn't half bad, Marcus."

"Good. We're agreed on this?" Marcus didn't wait for affirmation but turned to Matt, sizing him up crossly. "You wanna tell me why you felt the need to kidnap my assistant?"

"Oh come on, M. That was hilarious!" Matt almost choked with laughter. "You should've seen the look on your face! We were just pulling a little prank on you."

Marcus quirked an eyebrow and slowly faced the other two men, who seemed to be more interested in picking imaginary lint off their clothing. "We? Were you guys in on this? Seriously? I'd expect something like this from Matt, but you two? Get a life."

"Like yourself? Sorry, but we're not really into humans," Kuan-Yu retorted. "You weren't either, if I recall correctly. Enlighten us why this girl is different. I genuinely want to know."

"It's a no-brainer," Matt scoffed. "Marcus is in luuuurve."

"What? No, I'm not." Marcus crossed his arms in a defensive gesture. _What is he talking about?_ "Jessica's just... nice."

"So did you have sex yet?" Tezcatlipoca's interest was renewed. "Of course you did. Was it good?"

"I'm not discussing Jessica with you guys," Marcus announced firmly. "So shut up."

Matt chuckled evilly. "Like I said. In luuuurve."

Marcus slapped him upside the head. "I'm not. You're one to talk by the way. Tina's got you on a leash. And a very short one at that."

"Yeah, but she ain't human." Matt shot him an amused look. "Question: if you're not in love, why do you smile like an idiot every time you say her name?"

The other men laughed out loud at Marcus' indignant expression. "He's right, Marcus. You do."

"Must be the memory of all that amazing sex I've been having," Marcus retorted with a self-satisfied grin, silencing the laughter. Tez and Kuan-Yu glared at him sullenly. "Yep. The advantages of having a pet human. Now leave it alone."

"Okay," Matt gave in. "For now. Let's talk business. You have to admit that your relationship to the Black Thorn is on shaky ground to say the least. Sebassis has expressed his discontent about you and if we don't want to alert the Thorns to your brilliant plan, we need to do something about that. Like firing you."

"I can live with that," Marcus pondered. "But I'm killing all of them painfully and slowly if they so much as look at me funny."

"You'll need to be out of the way then, 'cause I can guarantee you the Black Thorn will be poking fun at you the second they find out we've fired you," Tezcatlipoca frowned.

"I'm not leaving this dimension. Forget it," Marcus declared, glaring at Tez.

Kuan-Yu cleared his throat. "It might be better if you did." Off Marcus angry glower, he added, "You could take the girl with you."

Tez shook his head determinedly. "No, she's not coming. You'll dispose of her and you'll lay low for a while. That's what's going to happen. I have seniority so I decide this." The three others looked at him with identical sneers on their faces.

"That seniority crap is getting old, Tez," Kuan-Yu spoke up. "Besides, it would really have _meant_ something if you weren't just talking about your human form. We vote and _that's_ what's going to happen."

Tezcatlipoca shrugged, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "Fine."

"Okay," Kuan-Yu resumed. "We have three options. One: Marcus stays in this dimension, fired and all, with or without the girl. He endures every derisive remark the Black Thorn throws at him." Marcus cringed at the thought. Kuan-Yu snickered, then continued. "Two: Marcus kills the girl and hops a dimension or two. Three: Marcus takes the girl with him when he hops a dimension or two. The problem there is that humans are fair game in most dimensions."

Marcus nodded pensively. "I know. I'm leaning toward secret option number four: I stay here with Jessica and I continue to be liaison to the Senior Partners."

"You know that would mean you would have to apologize to the Thorns and accept them as your superiors for the time being?" Matt purposefully chose words that would not sit well with Marcus.

"Yeah," Marcus shrugged. "At any rate, if everything goes as planned I get to pummel Angel into oblivion. That sweetens the pill a little."

"You do realize that you have to let him beat you, don't you?" Tez wondered. "That's the only way Team Angel stands a chance against Sebassis' armies. Which is what we need if we want to make them think they've defeated us."

"Seriously?" Marcus was disgruntled. "Crap. Can I at least smack him around a bit?"

"Sure. Knock yourself out," Kuan-Yu nodded, then amended, "Not literally though."

"So... when can we meet this Jessica?" Matt inquired mischievously.

"How about never? Let it go, Matt." Marcus was beginning to get a little aggravated.

"Come on! You've basically just volunteered to apologize to the Thorn to save her life. No matter how you deny it, you are in love with her," Matt claimed hotly. "That means we get to meet our new sister-in-law."

"Enough!" Tez barked. "Leave Marcus alone, Matunde. We have some kinks to work out. Like for example: how do we go about making Angel believe that he has killed Marcus? Or what do we do when none of the white hats succeed in taking out any members of the Black Thorn?"

Kuan-Yu's cell phone rang, providing Marcus and Matt with the opportunity to cool down and focus on the task at hand. They had to map out a strategy before Marcus reverted to his role as liaison to the Senior Partners. Every slip of the tongue could result in an ugly fight. There was no doubt that the Partners would prevail, but it would cost a lot of lives of perfectly good employees. Not to mention the fact that the outside world would be alerted to the presence of demons in the world, which would get in the way of preparing a nice and quiet apocalypse.

Tossing his phone on the table, Kuan-Yu sighed. "That was Madea. Apparently it's my turn to have the kids over for the afternoon. You'd think she could hire a nanny, considering the amount of alimony I pay her."

Shaking their heads in unison, the three others faced Kuan-Yu. Marcus voiced the popular opinion. "They're your kids, K. Be glad you get to see them once in a while."

"I know," Kuan-Yu conceded. "It's just the way she bosses me around. She really annoys me."

"So, thinking of getting back together with her, are you?" Matt winked. Off Kuan-Yu's scowl he added, "Please. We've known each other for a million years, give or take. It's so obvious."

"Anyway." Kuan-Yu decided to ignore Matt. "I don't have time to have them over. I have this big meeting with the Reza clan, remember? Taking over their dimension and all that? I'd make Tez do it, but if I recall correctly he kind of killed their leader last time and they didn't really like him anymore afterwards."

Tezcatlipoca studied his hands intently. "That was an accident."

"Yeah," Marcus mocked. "He accidentally annoyed you so much you tore his limbs off. Hey, it could happen."

"My point is: I really have to attend that meeting." Kuan-Yu sighed, then perked up. "Marcus, you think you and your girlfriend could baby-sit the kids?"

"Baby-sit your hellspawn? Not a chance." Despite his quick refusal, Marcus thought about it for a second. He'd always had a soft spot for Megan and Thomas. Maybe Jessica liked children; she was a woman after all. "Oh, what the hell. What time do I pick them up?"

"About 3 pm? Leaves you more than enough time to grovel at the feet of the collective Black Thorn," Kuan-Yu grinned. "Great. I'll pick them up at six. Thanks, Marcus."

"No problem," Marcus said. "Just remember you owe me one."

"So can we please get back to more pressing matters now the domestic issues are solved?" Tezcatlipoca inquired tiredly.

Turning their attention back to the apocalypse at hand, the men plotted the best way for Marcus to keep a low profile while still retaining his position as liaison.

"Well, I gotta go," Kuan-Yu announced after an hour of discussing strategy. "It was a pleasure, gentlemen. Marcus, be sure to check in more often. We miss your sunny disposition. See you around six." He created a portal with a swift flick of his wrist and disappeared through it.

"Sunny disposition my ass," Matt muttered, getting up from his chair. "Okay, I'm off too. See ya later guys." The air around him seemed to shimmer and he was gone too.

Tezcatlipoca turned to Marcus. "Are you okay with our plans so far?"

Marcus nodded grudgingly. "Yeah, I'm good." Their plans didn't embody his idea of a good time, but he'd live. Not that he actually had a choice in that matter, being immortal and all. Apologizing to the Black Thorn and letting Angel defeat him in a fight were pretty much last on his list of fun things to do but it had to be done. Their rule spanned several dimensions by now and was still expanding rapidly. If word got out that the Partners betrayed their generals, mutiny would undoubtedly ensue. Mutiny could be beaten down, of course, but there would always be a certain amount of discontent brewing just below the surface, waiting for a spark to set it off. The constant threat of rebellion and demon wars waged against them would unquestionably get in the way of the upcoming apocalypse.

Tez smiled contentedly. "Great. Give Meg and Tommy a big hug for me." His form became transparent and dissolved into thin air.

"Flashy bastards," Marcus grumbled. "Can't they just _walk_ out?" He realized that they, in fact, couldn't, because their identity had to remain secret; but the mood he was in now didn't allow for rationalizations. He could travel through dimensions just like the others, he just chose not to. Partly because he had to keep up the act of lowly liaison and partly because he liked the idea that people didn't know he wasn't human. It gave him the element of surprise, just like it had done with Jessica.

He rose from his chair and made his way into the hallway, fishing his cell phone out of his inside pocket. He dialed Patterson's number. "Get me Sebassis on the phone." He did _not_ want to do this. After a couple of seconds Sebassis answered.

Marcus tried for his most unassuming voice. "Archduke. I was just in a meeting with the Senior Partners and it seems I have overstepped my boundaries. They have decided I should continue to serve as their liaison however, so please accept my humblest apologies."

Obviously unhappy with the fact that Marcus was still alive, let alone that he was still their liaison, Sebassis kept quiet for a few seconds. "Well then," the demon finally said unenthusiastically. "If the Senior Partners feel that way, I'm certain the Black Thorn can adjust. I trust you will know your place from now on?"

Marcus gritted his teeth. "Of course, Archduke. Have a nice day." Ending the call, he considered throwing his phone forcefully into a wall, so the damn thing couldn't remind him anymore of the most humiliating conversation in his very long life. Instead of smashing something that was actually useful, he slammed his fist into a wall, punching clean through it and only relieving a little of the tension he felt.

He glanced at his watch. A quarter to two. Time always went faster in that room, maybe because it was a convergence point for several dimensions. He had one more hour until he had to go pick up K's kids. He could go down to his apartment and spend it with Jessica, relieving some more of that pesky tension. _Maybe even try the kitchen island_.

However, his fellow Partners had made it abundantly clear what they thought about his obsession with her. They were wrong, obviously, but it was probably wise to not spend every free hour in her company. He set course for his office.

Jessica had been stunned to see Megan and Thomas walk into the apartment with Marcus, but after a couple of minutes she was getting used to the idea. Marcus hadn't really explained their presence; he'd just said he was baby-sitting them as a favor to their father. The children called him Uncle Marcus, indicating that they knew him pretty well. It came as quite a shock for Jessica to realize there was so much she didn't know about him, but these kids provided her with an opportunity to find out more, and to observe his interaction with them. Besides, she really liked kids so she enjoyed their company a lot.

"Are you Uncle Marcus' special friend?" Thomas asked curiously.

"Special friend?" Jessica wondered. Megan and Thomas nodded enthusiastically.

"Daddy says Uncle Marcus sometimes has special friends and that he plays games with them," Megan clarified.

Across the table Marcus choked on his coffee. Jessica's eyebrows shot up. "Games?"

Thomas nodded even more ardently. "Yes. He never wants to play those games with us though." His face fell.

Jessica could barely suppress her laughter. Marcus looked very uncomfortable at the mention of his previous girlfriends. There was no need for that really; obviously he'd had girlfriends before. _I mean, look at him_. She didn't mind, he was hers now. "Don't worry, Thomas. Uncle Marcus' games aren't all that."

Marcus jerked his head up to face her. Smiling crookedly he sized her up. "Really... No games for you tonight, little girl."

"I'll play, Uncle Marcus," Megan volunteered, causing Marcus to choke again. Neither the children nor Jessica knew what games Kuan-Yu had actually been talking about, and he wasn't about to enlighten them. What had K been thinking anyway, discussing things like that in front of the children?

His cell phone rang, saving him from further embarrassment. "Not today, sweetheart." He answered the call. "Yeah?"

It was Patterson, telling him his presence was required to settle a quarrel between demonic tribes that was rapidly getting out of hand. Shooting Jessica an apologetic look, he got up. "I'll be right back. Emergency meeting upstairs. Do you mind watching them for a while?"

"Of course not, they're cute!" Jessica assured him.

"Thanks," he said gratefully, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "I won't be long."

As soon as Marcus closed the door, the two children turned to Jessica. "Uncle Marcus likes you," Megan revealed to her.

"Really?" Jessica smiled. "How can you tell?"

"He calls you little girl," Megan beamed. "He calls me little girl too."

"Oh." Jessica didn't really know what to tell Megan. "That's so... disturbing."

"And he makes a funny face when he looks at you," Thomas added, scrunching up his nose to illustrate.

"I think he always looks funny," Jessica confided in the children. They giggled conspiratorially.

"Mommy says Uncle Marcus is the hottest of all our uncles. She says he is so hot he shouldn't wear any clothes at all," Megan continued with a worried frown on her face. "Do you think Uncle Marcus is sick?"

Swallowing back a nervous giggle, Jessica shook her head reassuringly. "I'm sure Uncle Marcus is fine." _More than fine_. "Now what would you like to do? Watch a movie?"

Going through Marcus' DVD-collection, she discovered a reasonable amount of cartoons, leading her to suspect Marcus had had the children over before. It felt strange that he'd never mentioned them. It wasn't like they didn't talk about stuff; he'd had more than enough time and opportunity to bring them up. She frowned. Maybe he'd been worried that she'd think he was going too fast if he mentioned children. Which made sense. She was just twenty-one; he was a lot older than her. She couldn't really blame him for being careful.

She popped a cartoon into the DVD-player and soon all three of them were engrossed in the adventures of a friendly little ghost. Near the end of the movie Marcus came home.

"Sorry it took so long. I had to... never mind. Ooh, Caspar!" He slumped down on the sofa next to Jessica and pulled her onto his lap, kissing her neck. She snuggled up to him and observed the children, who were thoroughly immersed in Caspar's world. Marcus' cell phone rang a little after six.

"Your apartment is portal-proof," Kuan-Yu accused without further introduction.

"Then take the elevator, moron," Marcus muttered, making sure the children didn't overhear him.

"I would, but I kind of forgot the combination," Kuan-Yu admitted cheerfully. "Would it be terribly inconvenient for you to lift the portal protection?"

Marcus sighed. "Just a second." He rose from the sofa and moved a crystal that was strategically placed in the corner of the living room. "Okay. You can beam down, Scotty."

Right after he'd sat back down on the sofa, a portal appeared in the center of his living room, revealing not only Kuan-Yu, but also Madea, Matt and Tina, and Tez. All of them sporting identical eager grins. Marcus gritted his teeth. Kuan-Yu hadn't heard the last about this yet. Jessica tensed up next to him, unconsciously leaning closer.

"Jessica, meet my... family," Marcus introduced her reluctantly, rising from the sofa and taking her hand to help her up. Pointing to Kuan-Yu, he continued, "That's Kuan-Yu, the kids' father, the woman next to him is their mother and K's ex-wife slash future wife Madea, Matt and Tina and finally Tez. My brothers, so to speak."

Jessica threw him a confused look. Brothers? They each seemed to have different ancestry, but then again, Marcus had told her he'd lived in the human world for 2500 years now. So she really shouldn't be surprised at something like this. Let alone the fact that they'd appeared to have teleported into the apartment. _Just roll with it_.

Marcus' family waved at her and the man called Tez spoke up, smiling winningly. "Nice to finally meet you, Jessica. We've heard so much about you."

Jessica returned his smile, a little uneasy under the inquisitive gaze of Marcus' collective family. "Thanks. It's nice to meet you too. Although I can't say I've heard a lot about you."

"That's Marcus for ya," the black man called Matt remarked cryptically. "The man has a knack for missing the obvious."

Jessica heard Marcus grumble next to her but she decided not to pay attention to him. If her suspicions were correct, she was talking to the men Marcus had met 2000 years ago. She didn't have the full scoop yet, but she'd figure it out. She could always ask Marcus to elaborate.

Madea turned to Jessica. "Meg and Tom didn't cause any trouble? They can get a little overactive, especially around their favorite Uncle Marcus."

"Hey!" Tez and Matt exclaimed in unison, voicing their indignation.

"What? It's true," Madea shrugged. "Don't ask me why but the kids love him."

Jessica looked at Marcus affectionately. "He is quite lovable."

Her comment caused the group to size her up attentively. The awkward silence only lasted a few seconds and was shattered by Thomas asking his mother if Jessica could come home with them.

"Sorry Tommy," Marcus apologized. "Aunt Jessica and I have plans for tonight."

"We do?" Jessica looked at Marcus in puzzlement, then remembered. "We do! The theatre!" Covering her mouth with her hand she tugged at Marcus' sleeve. "I don't have anything to wear," she complained, eliciting a burst of laughter from Marcus' family.

"I like her already," Tina declared. "Marcus, get the girl a decent dress."

Marcus rolled his eyes. "It's taken care of. You think I'm stupid?"

"The thought has come up," Matt muttered under his breath, earning him a glower from Marcus. "More than once actually."

"Well, guys," Marcus stated dryly. "Wish I could say it's been a pleasure, but unfortunately..." His congenial smile softened the edge of his words. "Get out."

Laughing, Madea collected the kids while Kuan-Yu created a portal. Grabbing Matt by the arm, Tina stepped into it and turned around to wave goodbye to Jessica. Tez smiled at her and joined the others in the portal. With a flash, they were gone.

"Well," Jessica ventured. "That was weird."

"Yeah," Marcus acknowledged. "They are a bit much."

"And what was that about a decent dress?" Jessica inquired mischievously.

He chuckled. "Wait and see." As on cue, his cell phone rang. "Yes?" he answered it. "I'll be right up." He turned to Jessica. "Looks like your dress has arrived, Miss Nader. I'll be back in a few seconds."

Taking advantage of the fact that the portal protection had been lifted, Marcus disappeared. Twenty seconds later, he reappeared in the exact same spot, carrying two boxes in his arms.

"That's so cool!" Jessica exclaimed. "How do you do that? Can I go too?"

_She's so young._ Marcus smiled indulgently. "Not right now. Get dressed. We have dinner reservations in an hour."

Jessica made her way to the bedroom bearing the boxes Marcus had brought. She unpacked the largest one, unwrapping a beautiful black chiffon dress. The other box contained a pair of matching high-heeled shoes. Hastily shedding her clothes she padded over to the bathroom where she took a quick shower.

After Marcus entered the bathroom to shower, she got dressed in front of the man-sized mirror and admired her silhouette. Marcus had good taste and the dress was exactly the right size. It clung to her form like a second skin, with a slightly flowing skirt down to her ankles. A long slit revealed a large part of her legs. She applied some make-up and pinned her hair up.

Marcus emerged from the bathroom fully clothed in a dark grey three-piece suit. The sight of Jessica in her new dress nearly took his breath away. She wasn't what you'd call particularly pretty, but she looked amazing tonight. His hands itched to pull the pin from her hair and remove the dress none too gently. He had half a mind to stay in tonight. However, he couldn't deny her her night out. Her face spoke volumes; she all but bounced with excitement at the prospect of going out. He took in the dress he'd picked out with the eye of a connoisseur. _Good choice._

"You look stunning," he complimented her.

"Thanks," she said. "For everything."

A feeling suspiciously like guilt nagged at him. _Guilt?_ Where did that come from? More importantly, how did he make it go away? Pushing the thought to the back of his mind he offered her his arm. "Let's go." After placing the crystal back in place he locked the door behind them.

"Okay, now pay attention," Marcus warned and promptly teleported himself and Jessica to the car.

Jessica let out a startled yelp upon suddenly emerging in the parking garage, then beamed at him. "Wow! Cool!"

With a hand on her back he steered her toward the same BMW they'd used to visit her parents. Driving out into the city, he couldn't help but ponder about exactly why he acted the way he did around Jessica. Could it be that his brothers had a point? In only eight days he'd done so many uncharacteristic things that he'd lost count.

During dinner Marcus was quiet and distant. His thoughts appeared to be miles away. Jessica didn't think too much of it; maybe he was tired or he'd had some problems at work. She was determined to cheer him up in the course of the evening, but she decided to let him brood and sulk for a bit. It could do a person good.

Marcus felt his inner turmoil growing with every second that passed. He analyzed every sentiment he'd had and everything he'd done in the last week or so. He was beginning to see a pattern. Why had he been reluctant to sleep with her? Because he'd been afraid that he'd grow bored and he'd have to kill her, yes. But why did the thought of killing her bother him so? He'd never had any qualms about it before, and it wasn't that he'd wanted his plan to work out so bad either, although that's what he'd told himself.

He had feelings for her -- plain and simple. Marcus calmed himself somewhat by reasoning that feelings did _not_ equal love. Feelings he could handle. Love did not fit in with his personality, but feelings -- desire, lust, attraction -- didn't pain him as much to admit to. He'd just have to get his priorities straight. What was the most important thing right now? _Jessica_. He corrected himself. _Sex with Jessica_. Those feelings would ebb away and when they did, he wouldn't think twice about killing her. That was how it was supposed to go and it sure was how he planned it to go.

He focused his attention on Jessica again. She was studying him intently, and he forced a smile onto his face. "Sorry, I zoned out." _Sorry? What the hell for?_ Marcus Hamilton didn't apologize; he beat everyone he offended into a bloody pulp. That was in his nature. This was not. It was time he'd start being himself again.


	9. Decidedly Evil Ways

Marcus spent the entire show plotting a way to take charge of the situation again. He ultimately decided he should remind her of what he was, in an attempt to wipe the loving expression off her face. Every time he saw it, he felt loved and he was certain that was the root of all his problems, conveniently forgetting the fact that he'd acted oddly before she even developed any feelings of that kind. He'd have to make her fear him again. He'd make her so scared she wouldn't smile at him ever again, so he wouldn't feel the warmth that enveloped him every time she did.

Finally the show ended and they joined the hustle of people walking down the theatre corridor. Jessica slid her hand into his and placed her head on his shoulder. As they walked past a large mirror, Marcus was struck by the way they looked. She looked so tiny against his large frame, so fragile. The worst part was: they looked like a couple in love, damnit. He had to put a stop to this.

Not caring about the people he forcefully pushed out of the way, Marcus shoved her into the wall. Placing his hands on either side of her face, he stared at her intently, trying to gauge her response at his unexpected action. He dipped his head down to briefly brush against her lips with his. She looked up at him wide-eyed, not sure of what to do. Again he lowered his head, claiming her lips possessively and pinning her to the wall with his body.

His knee pried her legs apart and his hand went under the slit of her dress, lifting up the fabric to grant himself better access and revealing her underwear to the public. She pulled back, attempting to push him away. He let his other hand travel up her neck and threaded it into her hair, yanking her head to the side. Attacking the soft skin with his mouth, he let his fingers dance across the waistband of her panties.

"Marcus, no. People are watching," she hissed.

He raised his head to meet her eyes, his face a cold mask. "You don't get a say in this. I am not your boyfriend. Do I need to remind you of that?"

"You wouldn't..." she said, voice trailing off. What had come over him?

His tone became menacing. "Don't mistake me for one of those men, Jessie." He gestured to the people passing by, some of them throwing worried or disapproving glances in their direction.

"I'm not. I'm just not comfortable with all these people watching," Jessica tried to explain.

"You know I could take you right here if I wanted to. Right against this wall, spectators and all. You could scream all you wanted. I wouldn't care." His hand went up to caress her cheek softly and his voice became a whisper. "You keep forgetting who you're dealing with."

"Marcus, please. You don't have to prove your point," she pleaded.

He let go of her abruptly. "I think I do." Grabbing her by her arm, Marcus hauled her back to the car. As soon as they entered the apartment, he ordered her to go to bed.

"Aren't you coming?" Jessica asked tentatively. She had screwed up and she was thoroughly frightened by his ominous silence.

"No. I'm going out." He turned around and slammed the door shut behind him.

She needed to be set straight. She thought of him as her boyfriend while he was anything but. Marcus Hamilton was part of the most powerful evil in this and many other dimensions. He and his brothers ruled the underworld, for God's sake. Armies had gone up against him and lost. She had forgotten they weren't equals. He held power over her. He _owned_ her, damnit. Her life was his.

While he was prowling the streets, Marcus' head was filled with violent thoughts. It didn't take long for him to find a willing girl. She was standing in a crowd waiting to be accepted into a nightclub. She looked at him through heavily made up eyes and stared at his form appreciatively. Sidling closer to her, Marcus took in her appearance. She would have been pretty if it hadn't been for the harsh line of her mouth. She was wearing way too much make-up for his taste, and she was wiry and thin. Not soft and pliant like Jessica. _Don't go there._

As he halted his step in front of her, she smiled at him lewdly. He ignored his instant revulsion and returned her smile, waiting for her to make the first move. He didn't have to wait long.

"Hey there," she lisped. "You going in?" She pointed to the club's entrance doors.

"No," Marcus replied, watching her face fall slightly. "I was thinking of spending the night somewhere... more quiet."

The woman's smile came back full force. "Care for some company?"

_Bingo_. It never ceased to amaze him how little effort it took to get a woman into bed. He offered his arm. "Let's go."

Vague promises of a passion-filled night were enough to lure her back to his apartment. As the elevator doors opened, he grabbed the woman by her hair and yanked her onward. He opened the door with one hand and kicked it shut behind them.

The noise drew Jessica out of the bedroom. Taking in the scene before her she gasped. What was he doing? Who was that girl? The situation reminded her of the day she'd first come into his life. Had he taken a new girl to replace her? What had she done to piss him off so much?

Marcus backhanded the woman across the face, knocking her out. She slumped down to the ground, while he headed for his study. Opening the dresser, he took out his favorite knife and tucked it in his waistband. Back in the living room, he tossed the still unconscious woman on the sofa and advanced on Jessica.

"Do you remember now, Jessie? Do you remember what I am?" He unsheathed the knife and held it in front of her face. "Do you?" Jessica's horrified look was almost satisfying enough in itself, but the bloodlust that had been dormant the last couple of days had been awakened.

Jessica shook her head slowly, tears welling up in her eyes. "Don't."

The woman on the sofa groaned, gaining consciousness. He walked over to her, cutting the straps of her top with his knife and exposing her bare chest. The woman made a startled sound and looked up at him wide-eyed.

Jessica came to her senses. This had to stop. "Don't do this. Don't hurt her, Marcus."

Marcus chuckled evilly. "I will hurt her. And I'll do it because I like it. That's what I am. You'd better not forget again." He leisurely and deliberately tracked the knife's blade over the woman's throat, drops of blood welling up in its wake. "You think she's a screamer, Jessie?"

Terrified, the woman looked at Jessica pleadingly. Jessica shook her head incredulously. Was this really happening? Still, she had to help the young woman. She couldn't let her get killed. "Let her go. Please."

Her voice was so low that Marcus had to strain his ears to hear her. It was the words she wasn't saying that he was most interested in however. _Fascinating_. "Are you offering your life for hers?"

Jessica nodded mutely.

"You'll willingly undergo everything I had in mind for her?" Marcus inquired mockingly. "See, it's the willing part I'm not really into. I'd much prefer reluctant participants."

"Poke me with that knife and you'll see how reluctant I can get," Jessica said bitterly, fighting back her tears.

"I think I might." He turned back to the woman and observed her quiet sobs, his face full of disdain. "You were a lot more fun, Jessie. She's disappointing as hell." Not knowing what to say, Jessica kept quiet.

"Are you really sure you want to trade your life for hers? Even though you have no idea what I was going to do to her?" In a silky soft voice he continued, "Are you ready to die, Jessie?"

She closed her eyes in desperation. "No."

"That's what I thought." He proceeded to haul the woman off of the sofa, holding her up in front of him with his knife to her throat. "You wanna know why? Because you think you're better than her. More deserving of life. You're not the one at knifepoint. She must have fucked up somewhere along the line. That's what you're thinking. Don't deny it." He advanced on her. "But see, this is the funny thing. If I choose to, I can reverse your roles in a heartbeat. Doesn't that make me better than both of you? Do you think I'm better than you, Jessie?"

She swallowed. "I think you have a certain advantage over me, yes."

Chuckling, Marcus shook his head. "Well put. Answer the question."

What did he want her to say? Jessica thought about it for a while. "You are more powerful than me. If that means you're better, then you are."

"And?" Marcus prodded. He could tell she'd wanted to continue, but she'd wisely closed her mouth before the words came out.

Jessica gave up. He was going to kill them both anyway. It was almost amusing how fast she'd fallen from being on top of the world to her life being in danger. "You are also clearly a homicidal lunatic, and that would make me better than you. So I guess it's a draw."

Marcus let out a surprised laugh and tossed the woman to the side. "Funny, little girl. As I recall, you weren't so picky when we had sex." Patting the palm of his hand with the knife, he moved toward her. She flinched and backed up into the hallway. "Oh come on, Jess. Don't act all shy with me. I know better than that."

Behind him, the woman scrambled for the door, desperately trying the doorknob. Marcus looked over his shoulder, then turned back to Jessica. "I'll be back in a second. Don't go anywhere." He stalked across the room and picked up the woman. "Guess this is your lucky day." Opening the door, he flung her into the elevator. He walked back over to Jessica. "You ruined her for me."

"I did not." Jessica breathed a sigh of relief, immediately followed by an intense fear. She felt guilty to admit it, but she had been glad the woman was there to divert most of Marcus' aggression. Up until now, Marcus hadn't hurt her, but she couldn't be positive he wasn't about to. Seeing as he was still cherishing the knife while he headed over to her, she was pretty sure she wasn't getting out of this unharmed. A sob escaped her throat but she wasn't going down without a fight. "_You_ did. You should have bought her clothes and try to gain her trust and play games with her, but you rushed it."

"That's not what I meant," Marcus smiled. "You spoiled me for the others. It's only fair that you make up for that."

She shivered. "I didn't do anything. Screw you."

"Watch your language, little girl. I have better uses for that pretty mouth of yours." He grinned at her horrified expression. "Yep."

"You're not seriously thinking I'm going to sleep with you again, are you? You're delusional."

"Not willingly, no." Marcus shrugged. "But you see, I don't care. I can make you do anything I want. Besides, you know I can still make you scream my name." He raised the knife to her face and gazed at her pensively. "I don't think I ever heard you scream. In pain, I mean."

Swallowing back her fear, she lifted her chin and looked at him defiantly. "No. And I like it that way."

"Well, I don't," he decided, shoving her into the bedroom. "Let's see what we can do about it, shall we?" He followed her into the room, opening a chest drawer and taking out something she couldn't identify.

"Lie on the bed, please," he instructed her pleasantly.

Jessica didn't move. "What if I don't?"

Her voice was trembling. _Nice._ "Then I'll make you." To his contentment, she obeyed and lay down on the bed. "Good girl." Marcus moved to stand next to the bed and started tying her arms to the headboard. Her legs underwent the same treatment. Checking the restraints for strength he briefly pondered other things he could do with her tied up like this. _No_. He had priorities, and that wasn't among them. He took the knife from the nightstand and sat down beside her.

He traced the blade over her nightgown, tearing the material instantly and making her gasp. Applying a little more force to the knife, he brought it back up, drawing blood. She whimpered softly and closed her eyes, not wanting to see the man she loved cutting her with a large knife. Had she been fooling herself all along? It sure seemed like it. She had forgotten he was a homicidal maniac, who had seen fit to abduct her and hold her captive in his apartment. Instead, she had gone and fallen in love with him, treating him as her boyfriend and making demands. For a few days, he had given in to her and let her live her fantasy, but apparently he'd had enough. Now she was paying the price. _And it hurts like hell -- I don't necessarily mean the knife._ Tears filled her eyes and she started to cry silently.

Marcus tried to force himself to continue marking her. If he decided to let her live, she'd think of him every time she looked into a mirror. She would scar, he'd make sure of that. He couldn't shake a vague sensation of discomfort however. The feeling became stronger with every stroke of the knife, until it was impossible for him to continue. He turned his attention to her face and was dismayed to see tears trickling down her cheeks.

Abruptly, he rose from the bed and cut her loose. Shedding his clothes, he climbed into the bed behind her and took her into his arms, holding her tight. For hours, he listened to her sobs, feeling them rack her body. He'd finally broken her.

Then why wasn't he feeling good about himself?

After a couple of hours Jessica's crying finally died down and she fell asleep due to pure exhaustion. Marcus stayed awake, realizing he had a lot of thinking to do. He hadn't been able to torture her the way he'd planned to, although he was reasonably sure he'd sufficiently scared her. Thinking about the sadness etched on her face made him cringe. She hadn't been crying because of the physical pain he was inflicting; her tears had been of grief, hurt, betrayal. It pained him to realize that he was the cause of all her suffering.

He had to admit it. He was totally, irrefutably in love with her. There were some major reasons why that couldn't work out though. The first was easy. He was evil; she was not. He'd proven that once and for all tonight. Even if she still loved him after what he'd done to her, it would be impossible for them to have a life together. He could never be sure she would have loved him if he had given her a choice. Because he hadn't. He'd taken her from her life and forced her to make do with what she had. _Which is me_. He knew it shouldn't matter to him anyway, they could just continue living like they were now and he could keep on forcing her to be with him, but it didn't feel right. She had to stay with him because she wanted to. Which brought him back to a very important question. What kind of future did they have together?

Apart from the fact that their natures couldn't be more different, he also had to consider the fact that she was human. Mortal. Weak. Prone to dying. She wouldn't live as long as he would, not by a long shot. She'd die and leave him. Being with him would make her an easy target for all kinds of demons and hell gods that wanted to cross him. She'd die. And leave him. He'd seen it happen; even Madea and Tina, who were powerful demons in their own right, had been taken on a number of occasions to pressure his brothers into changing strategy. It simply was too dangerous for Jessica to be with him. _She'd die._

Just before dawn, Marcus reached a decision. It was selfish as hell and he hated himself for it, but it was the only thing that calmed his frazzled nerves. He had to kill her. Before she could die a horrible death at the hands of his enemies. Before she could leave him. He realized he couldn't just set her free. His possessive nature would never permit him to stay away from her, let alone allow her to build a life for herself -- with another man. He couldn't bear the thought of her lying in another man's bed, loving him, caring for another man the way she did for him. Because he lacked self-control, the woman he loved had to die. _He_ would make sure it would be quick, and she'd never have to be scared again.

_Thursday_

Jessica woke up in a disoriented state, wondering why her chest hurt and why she felt like she'd been crying all night. It took a few seconds for the harsh reality to kick in. Marcus had had enough of her and had both mentally and physically hurt her. At least that woman had survived.

She had no doubt that Marcus was going to murder her; his actions last night had made that abundantly clear. He did not care for her in any way. Why had she fallen in love with a monster? Apparently, he wasn't able to love her back. Maybe he'd killed her sooner if she'd kept on disliking him... but that would have saved her a broken heart. She wouldn't have experienced the last couple of days, that was true, but as it turned out, her happiness had been based on a lie.

Hot tears burned behind her eyes. She was only twenty-one and now she was going to die. She'd never marry, never have children. Her parents would never know what happened to her, and when they approached Marcus to ask about her, he'd kill them too.

Behind her, Marcus stirred. He was holding her like he had done every night since the first time she'd slept in his bed, the second night she'd spent in his apartment. Even now it felt right. She still loved him, at least the Marcus she'd thought she knew. Was that weird? Jessica didn't give a crap. She was going to die, by the hands of the evil thing she was in love with. _How's that for irony?_ An involuntary sob escaped her.

Marcus had felt her tense up, alerting him that she was awake. He should just snap her neck right now and be done with it, but the thought sickened him. He needed to lose himself in her one more time, right now. She already hated him; he could add another thing to her list. He trailed his hand over her stomach, making her wince in pain as he touched the wound he'd inflicted last night. _Damn_.

"Sorry," he whispered softly.

Jessica fought to gain control over her emotions. Part of her revolted at the idea of actually letting him touch her again, but another, rapidly increasing part told her she'd be dead this time tomorrow. She needed him -- or the part of him she loved. Was she really going to hell for trying to find some comfort in her last hours alive? She turned in his arms, facing him.

Without further ado, Marcus rolled on top of her and captured her mouth in a desperate kiss. His hands were everywhere, ridding her of the remnants of her nightgown and kneading her flesh roughly, at the same time being careful to avoid her wounds. She raked her nails across his back forcefully, making him moan. There was an urgency in his touch she'd never felt before. He was virtually clinging to her, drinking her in. She tugged at his boxers, succeeding in removing them.

_Last time_. The two words kept repeating in Marcus' head. He struggled to keep some semblance of self-control. Her hands on him nearly caused him to bury himself deep into her, but it would be over too soon. He had to make it last a little while longer. It was the last time he'd feel her soft skin, the last time she'd touch him with her small hands. She was clawing at him frantically, trying to get him where she wanted him. He recognized her need and the fear that lay underneath it.

Giving in, he sheathed himself in her body. She arched her back, urging him on. He drove into her violently, surrendering to his desperation. She kept perfect time with his thrusts, unfazed by his brute force. As her muscles started to contract around him he climaxed.

"So sorry," he muttered, resting his forehead against hers. "I'm so sorry."

She didn't reply but settled for stroking his hair, a gesture that shocked and touched him at the same time. Marcus rolled off of her and silently made his way to the shower. It didn't change anything. It had been goodbye and she'd known it. As he dressed himself he contemplated talking to her. But what purpose would that serve? Would it help her in any way? No. She'd be better off thinking he'd grown bored with her and she'd have to die because of it. Did it make her death easier to bear if she knew he had difficulties killing her? No, it wouldn't. It would only get her hopes up and he'd done enough hope-crushing to last him at least a couple of weeks.

He headed for the bedroom door and paused in the doorway, looking back at the still figure on the bed. She was facing away from him. He couldn't blame her. Closing his eyes for a moment, images of their days together played in his mind. Marcus shook his head vigorously, trying to rid himself of the pleasant feeling they caused. He couldn't bear it, knowing what he was about to do.

He set course for his study. Opening a secret vault, he took his favorite ancient dagger out of its sheath and studied it, light reflecting on the silver blade. It was beautiful, the handle encrusted with emeralds and engraved with a primordial demonic language. He visualized thrusting it into her body or slashing her throat with it. The thought made him recoil. _No_. He grabbed the desk for support.

Sitting down with his head in his hands, Marcus tried to force himself to get over it. He would grieve for a while, sure, but there was a copious amount of violence waiting for him just around the corner. Nothing worked better to relieve him from grief and worry than a good spot of mayhem. Even the thought of beating Angel into a bloody mess didn't cheer him up. As soon as his thoughts returned to Jessica and he pictured her lying dead in his bed -- or anywhere in his apartment -- his body convulsed in disgust.

No matter how he had to, he couldn't do this himself.

Striding purposefully down the hallway to his office, Marcus reached a decision. He fished his cell phone out of his inside pocket and dialed a number. He waited impatiently until someone answered.

"Marcus Hamilton here. I have a job for you." As soon as the words left Marcus' mouth, he regretted them, but he forced himself to continue. "Meet me in my office around ten."

Marcus had been pacing around his office for half an hour when Patterson entered the room. Not bothering to look up, he addressed his assistant. "Sit down. And you'd better have some good news."

"Something wrong, Sir? You seem... distraught," Patterson observed as he lowered himself into a chair.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Marcus answered curtly. "What's the news on Angel?"

"He's making preparations. All is going according to plan." Leafing through the paperwork in his hand, Patterson looked up. "I have found out who sent those cyborgs though."

"Good," Marcus nodded absent-mindedly while turning to face the window. "Tell me."

"Well--" A racket outside Marcus' office interrupted Patterson. With a brusque gesture of his hand, Marcus indicated Patterson should check it out. Glancing quickly at his watch, Marcus discovered it was ten o'clock and the noise probably belonged to the gang of demons he'd hired.

Patterson stuck his head back through the open door. "These... men... say they have an appointment, Sir."

"Send them in." Marcus moved to sit down in his chair. Rubbing his temples, he tried to summon the willpower to carry through with his plans.

The demons entered his office relatively quiet, obviously aware of his violent reputation although they had no way of knowing exactly how powerful he was. There were six of them, each one of them so very unsightly. Marcus felt a pang of remorse at the thought that this was the last sight Jessica would see. He grimaced. He had to stop thinking about her.

"You said you had a job for us," the leader of the six rasped. "We're at your disposal."

Marcus composed himself. "Good." He saw no point in putting it off any longer, fearing he might change his mind if he did. "It involves a girl. I need her dead."

The demons listened attentively, so he continued. "It's strictly a killing job, no torture, nothing. It needs to be quick and tidy. If I find out you played around with her, you'll be sorry you were ever born. Or hatched. Or spawned. Whatever."

Nodding, the demons indicated that they understood. "Get in, kill the girl, get out."

"Exactly." Marcus proceeded to discuss payment and made sure to stress again that Jessica shouldn't suffer. He escorted the group to the elevator where he pushed the buttons that would lead them to his apartment. When the elevator doors closed, he leaned against them and sighed. It was for the best. His life was better spent alone.

Jessica hadn't felt like doing anything and stayed in bed. She wondered why Marcus hadn't killed her yet, but figured he just liked to postpone her inevitable death to add some much-needed torment. She made a face at the thought. How could she have been so wrong about him? Well, apparently there was a reason she didn't know much about men: she was pig-ignorant.

Jessica shook her head wryly. Even though she was staring down horrible and untimely death, she still found it necessary to make fun of her situation. No wonder he'd grown tired of her. Suddenly she remembered something that happened on one of her first nights with him. He'd made a lot of noise and had come out of his study all twitchy when she'd caught him.

Getting dressed quickly, she went to investigate. She stood in the doorway indecisively, taking in the large room and wondering where to start. She didn't even know what she was looking for, but she figured it had to be something he didn't want her to find out about, judging from his edgy behavior that night. So that had to be either a secret exit or something that could hurt him. Both of them not entirely useless in her situation. Finally deciding to look behind the books on the shelf, she wasted no time in discarding them, taking a certain pleasure in the fact that she messed up his painstakingly neat study.

Behind one of the books on the top shelf was a security panel. _Yes!_ It required a numeric code, which was disappointing. She was startled by a noise at the front door, and quickly punched in a random series of numbers. A red light flashed, indicating that it hadn't been the right code. The front door opened with a loud crash and the sound of heavy footsteps ensued. _Crap. Think!_ His year of birth... She punched it in. 0. 4. 6. 7. The light turned green and a hidden door opened, just as a bunch of hideously looking things entered the study. She dashed through the opening, thanking her lucky stars for the narrow escape. Slamming the door shut behind her, she ran through the corridor, only to be halted by a second door with another security panel. The door behind her opened, revealing two of the monsters that were after her. She desperately tried to unlock the second door, trying the code that had opened the other one, but to no avail. She sagged to the floor defeatedly while the things grabbed her arms and hauled her back into Marcus' apartment.


	10. Reality Kicks In

For the tenth time since he'd escorted the demons to the elevator Marcus checked his watch. In all likelihood, Jessica was dead or mortally wounded right about now. The thought made him cringe. Telling himself it was for the best, he sat down and tried to work. _She's better off. She can't die because of me if she's already dead. _Vivid images of Jessica fighting for her life kept haunting him, so he rose from his chair to find something to distract him. _Cyborgs_.

"Peter!" Marcus bellowed into the intercom system.

It took the young man mere seconds to appear in the doorway. "Yes Sir?"

"Send Patterson in," Marcus ordered.

Peter fidgeted apprehensively. "I don't know where he is, Sir."

Marcus' eyebrows shot up. "Explain."

"He just left, Sir. Didn't leave a message or say anything. Just up and left." Peter cast his eyes downward. He knew Marcus had a bad temper, and he feared for his life since his boss was in the worst mood ever.

Marcus frowned but refrained from butchering the young man. "Notify me as soon as he gets in."

"Yes Sir." Relief etched on his face, Peter backed up quickly into the other room and closed the door silently.

Pacing in front of his desk, Marcus tried to figure out where Patterson had gone. The Partners wouldn't have kidnapped him again; they weren't into repeating their own pranks. Maybe Patterson had discovered something important and was pursuing that at this moment. He probably hadn't had time to inform Marcus of the matter and had gone off to chase the information himself. Patterson was getting careless, trusting that Marcus would bail him out if he got into trouble. Marcus would, that was beyond any doubt; but right now it was very inconvenient. He had other things on his mind. Like not thinking about Jessica. _Crap_.

He needed to find something or someone to pummel. Violence always cheered him up. Cracking skulls and severing limbs was like a Christmas party to him. At least, it had been. Somehow the brutal slaughter of random people and demons had lost its appeal to him. He contemplated picking a fight with Tez so he could work off some of his frustration without injuring his opponent too badly. Tez had a short fuse like himself; it would be a piece of cake to get him to deal the first punch. Nodding slowly to himself, he retrieved his cell phone from his pocket, startled by the sudden shrill ring it produced. Recognizing the number on the display, he sighed.

Pressing a button, he answered the call. "Archduke Sebassis. What can I do for you?"

"Mr. Hamilton. Since the Black Thorn and yourself are starting to get along again, we want to ask you for a favor."

"Anything, Archduke." Gritting his teeth, Marcus cursed the fact that he had to keep up the act of being a lowly liaison. "Give me the details and I'll be right on it."

"We're accepting Angelus into our folds," Sebassis disclosed. "We need a proper sacrifice, and there's word that Drogyn the Battlebrand is in town. He's guarded by Illyria. Could you fetch him for us?"

Marcus blinked at the Thorn's stupidity. _Oh well_. It was their funeral, nothing he could -- or had to -- do. "Of course, Archduke. Consider it done." Ending the call, he smiled to himself.

_Drogyn_. It had been a while, centuries even, but the Battlebrand had always been a worthy adversary. The prospect of getting to beat the crap out of him -- _and_ Illyria no less -- did manage to lighten his mood a little. It took him all of five minutes to find out where Drogyn was hiding, and he made his way to Spike's apartment with determination.

As the demons dragged her to her feet, Jessica came to her senses. She wouldn't go down without a fight. She kicked one of them in the knee, trying to elbow the other in its stomach. Two other demons moved toward her to hold her down, while another one sprouted a set of knife-like extensions from its claw. _Like Wolverine_. It advanced on her. Jessica's will to fight ebbed away as quickly as it had surged. She broke down in sobs.

"Gentlemen," a voice interrupted. "One moment please."

The demons looked up reluctantly. The one with the claw kept staring at Jessica fixedly, moving the sharp extensions of his claw to her throat slowly and deliberately.

"Stop that," the voice ordered with authority, making the demon halt its movement. "I have a message from Mr. Hamilton."

Grumbling their discontent, the demons turned to face the intruder. If Hamilton had really sent this man to deliver a message, they'd better listen. The leader spoke up. "What message?"

"You're to abstain from killing her in Mr. Hamilton's apartment. Blood and carpeting do not mix." The man seemed to ponder this statement for a while. "Well, they do, but that's exactly my point. Anyway, take the girl to your lair. Mr. Hamilton gives his permission to use the girl for other purposes. He has suggested that she'd make a wonderful ritual sacrifice. Congress with the Beast and all that." He made a dismissive gesture.

The demons conferred about this in hushed tones. They could use a sacrifice like this girl to placate their lord. He had after all expressed his disgruntlement with the sheep and goats they'd been sacrificing to him in the past years. They nodded their agreement. "We'll take her."

Two of the demons moved to haul Jessica back to her feet, providing her with a view of her rescuer. _I mean postponer_. It was Chris Patterson. Jessica lost all courage. _Marcus' assistant_. Apparently Marcus had decided that a quick death just wasn't any fun. Instead, these monsters were allowed to entertain themselves with her and eventually sacrifice her to God knows what.

Patterson had walked into Marcus' apartment a few seconds ago. He'd memorized the elevator combination, thinking that it might come in handy one day. He hadn't thought that day would come so soon. Making his way toward the sounds of struggle, he'd contemplated the right course of action. Not that he actually had a lot of time to come up with a plan.

In Patterson's mind, Hamilton's awful mood and the group of demons sent downstairs could only mean one thing: for whatever reason, Hamilton had decided to dispose of Jessica Nader. Something he couldn't allow. The young woman deserved better. He wasn't sure yet how he'd go about saving her life, but at least he'd bought her a little more time. Maybe he could enlist the help of Wolfram & Hart's sweep team, under the pretense of being ordered to do so by Hamilton himself. He'd figure something out.

On the way to the front door, Jessica tripped. The demons did not slow down to let her regain her footing, but dragged her behind them. A vicious snap sounded, indicating that they'd broken her arm. Patterson winced in sympathy as she shrieked in pain and had to force himself to keep quiet. He was supposed to be just the messenger, not the rescuer. If he told them to go easy on her, it was all too possible he'd give himself away. They were not that bright, but even the most dumb demon had a nose for things like that. To his relief, one of the demons decided to give her a rest and hoisted her up on its shoulders.

Patterson followed the demons into the elevator and waved goodbye to the demons as they exited. Leaning back against the elevator wall, he pressed the button for the third floor, where Hamilton's office was located. He wondered whether he should bring the Nader girl up or not. Judging by the foul mood Hamilton had been in that morning, it'd be wise to refrain from doing so if he wanted to stay alive enough to save her.

_That was bracing_. Drogyn hadn't really put up a fight like he'd expected, but nonetheless, it had been fun to pummel Illyria into oblivion. He'd had to make sure that she'd live though; Team Angel didn't stand a chance against Sebassis' armies if they didn't have the demon god on their side. Still, it had been amusing to rile the Blue Bitch. The look on her face -- totally uncomprehending how it was possible that she, an Old One, was being crushed by someone, as insignificant in her mind as Marcus -- had been priceless.

Marcus straightened his tie and adjusted his suit. He checked his shoes for sticky bits of Illyria but found none. _Thank God_. The last thing he wanted was to clean Old One off his shoes. Those guys stained like hell. He remembered that once, in the Middle Ages, he and his brothers went up against the Old Ones that ran Wolfram & Hart -- of course, a primitive version of it -- in that time. They'd defeated the demon gods, naturally, but their clothes had been ruined for good. Of course, fashion had changed since then, but he still remembered being miffed about the loss of his favorite tunic. He'd taken it out on some of their new serfs, he recollected with a vague sense of shame.

He nodded to himself while he left Spike's apartment. He'd made the right decision, having Jessica killed. He'd never been ashamed of something he'd done before and he was sure it was her doing. She influenced him in some way, causing him to want to be less evil than he actually was. That was just plain wrong. He couldn't change what he was, just like she couldn't change who she was either. She was human; she had a conscience. She would never have been able to live with him, knowing his nature and loving him in spite of it. Thinking of Jessica in the present tense made him realize that she wasn't alive anymore. She was dead. In more than one way he'd killed her. He'd broken her spirit and he was pretty sure he'd broken her heart too. Plus, he'd hired the gang of demons that were specifically ordered to kill her instantly, granting her very little opportunity for survival.

Marcus tried to swallow down the wave of nausea that overtook him and lashed out at a streetlight. The thing fell over, crashing into a car and setting off its alarm. A few passers-by gaped at Marcus open-mouthed. He narrowed his eyes at one of them.

"What are you looking at?" Marcus inquired menacingly, halting his stride. "Never seen a man kick down a streetlight?"

"Um... no." The man he'd addressed looked at him as though he was mentally unstable. "But by all means, be my guest."

Despite himself, Marcus chuckled at the man's pluckiness. "Thanks." He headed back toward the Wolfram & Hart office buildings and forced himself to desist from doing more damage to municipal property. The Partners did not need the extra publicity. However, even though he'd gotten his share of violence that day, he couldn't shake the feeling of frustration that still haunted him. _No. Not frustration. Anger? No_. _Why am I trying to name my emotions? _Bottom line was: he still wanted to beat the crap out of someone or something.

Grumbling to himself, he entered his office. Peter was bouncing up and down excitedly behind his desk, obviously dying to tell him something. Marcus groaned. "What is it?"

"I found him," Peter announced enthusiastically. "I found Patterson."

"Technically," Patterson corrected him while emerging from Marcus' office. "I came back on my own, so he didn't really find me so much as see me come in. But who's keeping score, right?"

"Right," Marcus agreed. He was getting accustomed to Patterson's bizarre sense of humor. It was quite possible he even started to appreciate it. "In my office. Now."

"Yes Sir." Patterson followed him into his office and plopped down in his usual seat.

Marcus sat down across from him and raised his eyebrows, waiting for the man to elaborate on his absence. When Patterson didn't start talking, he folded his arms. "Well?"

"Well what, Sir?" Patterson tried to stall for time. Maybe he'd come up with a reasonable explanation in the time it took Hamilton to formulate his question.

"Oh, forget it," Marcus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I feel like killing someone."

Patterson recoiled slightly. "Well, don't look at me."

"I'm not looking at you," Marcus said tiredly. "My eyes are closed and my hand's in the way."

"Right. Okay." Patterson sounded relieved. "Do you want to talk about it, Sir?"

"About what?" Marcus scoffed. "There's nothing here I can't handle."

Patterson shrugged, deciding to leave the subject of Marcus' issues alone for now. "If you say so, Sir."

"I do. Now tell me about those cyborgs." Marcus leaned back in his chair, trying to focus on other matters than Jessica's bloodied corpse left somewhere in an alley.

His cell phone rang, cutting Patterson off even before he started talking. Marcus gestured for him to leave the room and answered the call. "Hamilton."

"Hey, brother-in-law," Tina greeted him cheerfully. "You sound cranky."

Marcus sighed. If anyone else commented on his mood today, he was going to rip the person's arm off and beat him or her about the head with it. "That's 'cause I am."

"Ooo-kay. Hey, I wanted to ask you something," Tina resumed, not in the least affronted by his bluntness. "Matt and I wanted to invite you and Jessica over for dinner. Saturday sound okay?"

Marcus' face fell. _Jessica_. "No."

Tina stayed silent for a few seconds. When she spoke up again, concern was evident in her voice. "Marcus, what's wrong? You haven't done anything stupid, have you?"

"Define stupid." Had he done anything stupid? He'd been so sure he was doing the right thing. It was for the best. Wasn't it?

"Like, say, breaking up with her?" A gasp indicated that Tina realized that that was not really his modus operandi. "What have you done, Marcus?"

"I haven't _done_ anything," Marcus defended himself. "But I may have hired someone to do it for me."

His brother's wife sounded downright livid. "You dumb, retarded son of a... Matt, talk some sense into your brother." She handed the phone over to her husband.

"Hey bro," Matt greeted him. "I hear you messed up?"

"Apparently," Marcus griped. "What's she on about?" He could virtually see Matt's shrug.

"I don't know, man. She liked the girl. We all did." Judging from the sounds emanating from his phone, Matt fumbled around for his cigarettes and knocked something over in the process. "Whoops. Sorry honey. I'll buy you a new one."

"Can we focus for a while?" Marcus wondered tetchily. "Why is it such a big deal all of a sudden when I get rid of one of my... special friends? You guys never bothered me about it before."

"True," Matt assented. "But you've never been in love before."

Marcus made a non-committal sound. His brother was right, but Marcus wouldn't admit it if his life depended on it. _Well, maybe then I would_.

"Out of morbid curiosity," Matt continued amusedly. "What kind of twisted logic has your addled brain cooked up to justify killing her?"

"Nicely put. Get over here and repeat that to my face. I've been itching for a good fight." Marcus half and half hoped that Matt would appear in his office so he could punch the undoubtedly smug grin off his brother's face.

"Mind if I take a rain-check?" Matt chuckled. "I know you can whoop my ass, I so don't need proof of that. But _nice_ dodging of the subject, Marcus. Now I can rest assured you've done something that goes well beyond the normal definition of stupid."

"I have not," Marcus stated firmly. "She would have died anyway. It was a matter of time. I just wanted it to be quick and relatively pain-free for her."

"Spoken like a man in love," Matt mocked. "Come on. Why would she have died? Okay, she was human, but she could easily have lived for another fifty years. Oh and just so you know: getting ripped apart by a mob of demons does not equal quick and relatively pain-free death."

"She wouldn't have lived for even another year. She'd be taken, just like Tina and Madea were. She can't take care of herself, Matt. I'm not always there to look after her." Desperation crept into Marcus' voice. "She'd die and it'd be my fault."

"Like it's not your fault now?" Matt sounded incredulous. "Really, Marcus. How deluded can you get?"

"What? It was the best option." His defense sounded weak, even to his own ears. "For both of us."

"Tell me how killing the girl you love is the best option for you. And for her, for that matter. You were just scared of opening up. Letting someone in. And what do you do? The thing you have always done: kill the girl and be done with it. Problem is, this time it won't go down that easily. You're in for some serious brooding once it kicks in what you've done. You really messed up this time, bro." Tina yelled something in the background. "She says the seven of us will come over and kick some common sense in your -- and I quote -- stupid, retarded, dumb and brainless ass. Charming woman, isn't she?" Matt snickered. "Eloquent, too."

Marcus ignored Matt's speech and counted his relatives in his mind. _Seven?_ Matt, Tina, Kuan-Yu, Madea and Tez. _Five_. "Seven?"

"Yeah. Don't forget little Meg and Tommy. They loved her," Matt clarified, then added. "Surprisingly strong for pre-schoolers, those two."

"Right. Well, I gotta go." Marcus suddenly felt very tired. "See ya, Matt."

"Take care, M." Matt paused for a moment as if he was contemplating something. "See ya."

Matt ended the call, leaving Marcus to stare at his phone pensively. Matt had a point, although Marcus was loathe to admit it; he'd been scared to let her in and he'd chosen the road most familiar to him to deal with it. And now she was dead. He felt a sudden and unexpected need to make sure she hadn't suffered. Determinedly, he set course for his apartment.

Jessica's entire upper body hurt. She couldn't tell whether it was her broken arm, the wounds Marcus had inflicted , the constant sobs that had racked her body for the last hours or the fact that she'd screamed herself hoarse since the moment the demons had deposited her onto a cold hard floor and left her alone to go sit at a large table on the other side of the room. She was chained up to some sort of frame that was mounted to the wall. She had about three feet to maneuver, enough to reach the bowl of water they'd provided her with. There was another bucket standing next to it, but she didn't want to think about having to use it. She would've much preferred being killed on the spot back in Marcus' apartment. She'd only been here for an hour or so, but it had gotten old really fast.

With her good arm, Jessica tugged at her chains for the hundredth time. They didn't give. What would she do if they did anyway? She couldn't take all six of those demons alone. Hell, she couldn't even take one of them. Let alone with one arm broken.

Not for the first time she wondered how she could have been so wrong about Marcus. Had he really been waiting for a reason to get rid of her? She found it hard to believe. But then again, she used to find the concept of demons and supernatural beings hard to believe and look where that got her.

That morning he'd said he was sorry. She'd loved him more than ever at that moment, even though she knew he'd never meant for their 'relationship' to last. He had most likely been planning the best way to kill her right about that time. So why would he apologize? She didn't know. Probably to add a little drama to her death scene. _Do I sound bitter? Can't imagine why. _Jessica wished he'd had the guts to do it himself, that way she would at least have had some proof that he'd cared about her, if only a little. Giving her away to six monsters that could do as they pleased with her just did not spell love.

The worst part was: she still wasn't sure she wouldn't take him back if he asked her to. She was weak; she knew that. Right now she was too far gone to care. She'd most likely die here and never see him again.

Tears stung behind her eyes. Her arm hurt, she was cold, hungry, chained up and at the mercy of things with enormous claws. It honestly didn't get any worse than that. One of the demons approached her, tossing her something vaguely bread-shaped. Jessica reached for it with her good arm, grateful for something to eat and not caring whether it was poisoned or not.

_So sorry. I'm so sorry_. The words echoed through her head. She constantly tried to figure out the meaning behind them. What was he sorry for? Sorry for hurting her? For having sex with her after the way he'd treated her? For planning to kill her? All of them good reasons to apologize for in their own right. Had he been sorry at all or had he just said it to play with her some more? Why did she care about that anyway? The time to worry about it was long gone. She should have paid more attention to Marcus' needs instead of mindlessly assuming he'd want the same things she did. If she'd treated him more like the evil thing he was, maybe he wouldn't have grown tired of her yet. Then again, she would never have given herself to an evil thing. _Funny, 'cause that's exactly what you did last Sunday_, a little voice inside her head mocked. Jessica scrambled to sit against the wall and leaned back, closing her eyes.

On his way down to his apartment, Marcus realized Matt couldn't have been more right. It was slowly settling down in his mind that he'd been responsible for her death. He'd killed the one he loved; there was no way around it. He couldn't shake the images of her pleading for her life, trying to ward off the demons he'd sent after her. He cursed his vivid imagination. In his mind's eye, it was he who dealt fatal blows and it was he who slit her throat. His knees buckled and he had to use the elevator wall to support himself.

Images of her smiling, laughing, loving him flashed between the mayhem in his mind. He shook his head violently, finding those happy thoughts even harder to bear than the violence now she was dead. What had he done?

Bracing himself for the sight of Jessica's corpse in his apartment, he walked in. He should have ordered the demons to take her elsewhere, but he hadn't been thinking clearly at the time. He hadn't wanted her to suffer, so he'd thought it best to have her killed on the spot instead of being dragged away by a group of demons only to be killed a couple of minutes later. That did mean however that Marcus would have to deal with her body. _And the blood._ He surveyed the living room but didn't see any signs of a struggle. Maybe they'd overpowered her in the bedroom. He'd probably have to get another apartment altogether; he'd never be able to live in it again. Her memory was all over the place.

He checked the kitchen but it was completely empty. Not even a sign of Jessica having breakfast, which added support to the bedroom theory. Reluctantly, he set foot in his bedroom. Nothing. He frowned in confusion, flinging the bathroom door open. _Nothing_.

On his way to the study his cell phone rang. Marcus considered hurling it into a wall but decided against it. Despite his current state of mind, he still had a job to do. That didn't mean he had to be polite, though.

"What?" Marcus barked into the receiver.

It was Tez. "Marcus. You got a minute?"

"Actually--" Marcus started, but he was interrupted by Tez.

"This can't wait," Tez said gravely. "I have to tell you something."

His serious tone caught Marcus' attention. "What's up?"

Tez cleared his throat. "I was in love with a human girl once."

Stunned into silence, Marcus tried to gather his thoughts. After a couple of seconds he'd regained his bearings. "Really? What happened?"

"I cut her open with my favorite broadsword," Tez answered curtly.

Marcus swallowed uncomfortably. "Yeah. Okay. Well, thanks for sharing." This was not what he needed right now.

Unperturbed, Tez continued. "And there hasn't been a day I haven't thought about her ever since. Not a day I haven't regretted it. Now please tell me you haven't done anything stupid yet."

"Um... can I get back to you on that?" Marcus knew that it was no use arguing with Tez when he had his mind set on something, and he knew his brother was bound to give him hell about his decision to have Jessica killed. And Marcus was giving himself enough hell about it as it was. He was still trying desperately to come to terms with his actions; he didn't need to be confronted about them by his brother.

Tez sighed in aggravation. "What have you done, Marcus?"

"Had her killed by a group of demons. Talk to Matt and Tina if you want details." Marcus entered his study, fully expecting to find a bloodbath. _Nothing_. "Bastards!"

"Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, 'cause I do... but it's just me here. Singular. Not plural." Tez tried to lighten Marcus' mood. He had some more things to say, and he was sure Marcus would not want to hear them.

"Not you. Those demons." Marcus was looking around anxiously. "There's no blood. They took her. Against my orders."

"Okay, now I'm confused," Tez inquired, puzzled by Marcus' cryptic remarks. "You ordered a bunch of demons to kill the girl and now you're mad that they actually did it?"

Marcus slumped down on the nearest chair. "No, I ordered them to do it quickly and on the spot. You know, to save her the suffering. There's no blood anywhere, let alone a body; so that means they've taken her."

"Maybe they just snapped her neck and took the body for food," Tez suggested, making Marcus nauseous.

"They're not the neck-snapping type," Marcus reasoned. "They've got extendable claws the size of a two-by-four."

"You're something, you know that?" From Tez' voice, Marcus could tell his brother was getting angry. "Trying to save her the suffering... you should have done it yourself. What do you think went through her head when she saw those guys?"

"That's why they should have made it quick. And I couldn't do it myself," Marcus huffed.

"That should have given you some sort of a clue, Marcus," Tez pointed out. "I've been there. Believe me, I know."

Marcus sighed defeatedly. "She's gone, Tez." She was really gone, and it was his fault.

Tez was silent for a few seconds. "I know."

"But it's for the best, right? It'd never work out." He was evil, she was not. That was all there was to it.

"Marcus, we can't change what we are," Tez said patiently. "That doesn't mean we can't love or be happy. The choice is ours. It's always been ours. Look at Matunde and Tina, or Kuan-Yu and Madea."

Marcus rolled his eyes. Tez just didn't get it. "Tina and Madea are demons. Jessica was human. She wouldn't have survived. I couldn't always have been there to protect her."

"Bullshit," his brother snapped. "You really think the four of us couldn't have come up with a solution for that?"

Did he think that? Marcus was ashamed to admit he hadn't even thought that far. In his fear of letting her in, he'd chosen the easy way out. He closed his eyes. _Too late_.

Tez' voice softened. "I know how you feel. Don't be too hard on yourself. Go and take it out on those demons."

Now that was a good idea. Marcus perked up a little and ended the call. "Thanks, Tez."

Blood. Violence. Mayhem. That had been his life before she'd come into it. Could he have given up all that? Could he really have defied his nature for her? He didn't know, but he realized he should have at least tried. He shook his head wryly. _Too damn late_. He'd feel better after he'd slaughtered every last one of the demons that had killed her.


	11. Food For Thought

Chris Patterson was pacing in the new office Hamilton had provided him with. He was expecting an important phone call that just wouldn't come. He'd left tons of messages, but so far no luck. Hamilton could come bursting into his office any minute, and he preferred to have mapped out a strategy before that.

Sighing, he reached for his phone again. It rang seven times until someone picked up.

"Finally," Patterson barked. "The concept of a cell phone is completely lost on you, isn't it?"

The voice on the other end apparently offered a sufficient explanation, because Patterson smiled slightly. "Well, better get used to it. If everything goes as planned we'll be here for a long time."

He waited for a reply and then continued talking. "Hamilton is coming apart. Right now he's too careless and violent for us to make our move. We need him happy and distracted. Which is where saving the girl comes in."

A suggestion was made on the other end of the phone line. "That _has_ crossed my mind, but contrary to popular belief, Hamilton is not intellectually challenged. He'd know in a heartbeat."

He listened for a few seconds. "I would've liked to see you guys do better. Besides, I call the shots here. Serves you right for not volunteering. Now, about the girl."

His conversation partner spoke for a couple of minutes; Patterson was quiet except for the occasional non-committal sounds. Finally Patterson interrupted. "But how? Without drawing unwanted attention and getting my head ripped off?"

He chuckled at the reply. "Of course. So easy."

The other made an offensive remark. "Hey!" Patterson replied indignantly. "It was probably _too_ easy. My brilliant brain overlooked it entirely."

A racket in the adjoining room interrupted a beginning argument. "Oh, Hamilton is trashing his office. Gotta go. I'll check in later." He ended the call and stepped out in the hallway, looking at Peter questioningly. "What has gotten into him?"

"Don't ask me," his assistant replied with a shrug. "One of his moods, I guess."

Patterson took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A loud yell indicated that Hamilton was not necessarily pleased with the disturbance. Pushing the door open slightly, Patterson observed Hamilton's position in the room, and calculated whether he could get out of Hamilton's sight without suffering severe injuries after delivering his message. _Probably not_. Either way, he still had to think of a way to persuade Hamilton to go and save the girl. Preferably without letting him in on the piece of information that he'd been responsible for the fact that the demons had taken her. He pulled himself together and stepped into the room. "What's wrong, Sir?"

Hamilton looked up in annoyance. "What part of me yelling 'get lost' didn't you understand?"

"There's something you should know, Sir." Patterson stuck his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet.

Marcus looked at Patterson bemusedly. What was wrong with his assistant? Well, he didn't have time for quirks. He had some demons to kill. "Later. I need an address. Help me look for it."

Patterson contemplated insisting on discussing it now, but decided to wait until he figured out a way to broach the subject. "What address, Sir? Have you tried your computer?"

Patterson did come in handy in just about any situation. Marcus threw his assistant a sideways glance. "No." He plopped down in his chair and searched Wolfram & Hart's files. Within minutes, he'd found it. "Okay. Hold the fort, I'll be gone for an hour or so."

"Where are you going, Sir?" Patterson panicked slightly. He couldn't be sure those demons wouldn't kill the girl before he'd had time to ease Hamilton into the knowledge that she was still alive.

"Kill myself some demons." Marcus smiled at the prospect. He was looking forward to it; it gave him a chance to avenge Jessica's death.

"Would those demons be the ones that came to see you this morning?" Patterson inquired tentatively.

Narrowing his eyes, Marcus turned to face him. "Yes. Why?"

"They took the girl," Patterson confessed, praying he'd make it out the door before Hamilton exploded. "I saw them."

Marcus nodded. "I know. That's why I'm going to kill them."

"Oh." _How does he know?_ Patterson considered himself lucky, although it might have been better if he'd kept his mouth shut altogether. _Oh well_. "Have fun, Sir."

_Weird_. Marcus headed for the door. "I will. Thanks." Patterson was acting decidedly strange, but he had more important matters to attend to. He took the elevator down to the parking garage and sped into the city on his way to the demons' lair.

Jessica woke up abruptly, startled by a loud noise emanating from the other side of the building. Had she really fallen asleep? Even under these circumstances? The only excuse she could come up with was that she was exhausted by that morning's events. _And let's not forget last night._ Her back hurt from having slept in an uncomfortable position and she was cold. She shivered, immediately reminded of her broken arm by a blinding pain.

The tumult that had woken her up grew louder and the demons at the table looked up in alarm. One of them rose and took out a vicious-looking battle axe. He left the room to check out the source of the racket. A few seconds after the demon had disappeared through the doorway and closed the door behind him, he was sent flying back into the room, shattering the wooden door and landing on the concrete floor with a thud. The other demons jumped to their feet and scurried across the room to fetch weapons, the sounds of their extending claws mingling with the clang of metal against metal.

A tall figure emerged in the doorway. Jessica couldn't make out his face and squinted against the bright light that shone through the annihilated door. _Marcus?_ Things had just gotten a lot stranger. What was he doing here? Was he here to gloat? To help them kill her? It didn't look like it, seeing as he had taken the now unconscious demon and was beating the others into oblivion with it. A small spark of hope made her sit upright, while Marcus tore the limb off a demon. Jessica closed her eyes tightly. She _so_ did not want to see that. Not that she had any sympathy for those things, it was just... gross.

Her movement had alerted one of the demons to her presence. Doing the math, the demon figured that Marcus Hamilton was probably after the girl, and that said girl was his best chance at survival. He withdrew from the fight and approached the totally oblivious girl, drawing Marcus' attention.

Momentarily stunned by the discovery of Jessica -- _alive_ -- huddled in a corner of the room, Marcus let himself be surprised by an attack of two demons who charged at him, running him through with a sword and swinging at his head with some sort of strange axe-like weapon. Rolling his eyes, Marcus pulled the sword from his chest, blocked the swing of the axe, and shoved the demons out of his way. He made his way over to her, grabbing the demon from behind and flinging it forcefully into the wall on the far end of the room.

_She's alive_. Those bastards had taken her alive, against his orders. _But she's alive. With me_. The world around him went quiet, and he sighed in bliss, causing her to open her eyes. The pain in them made him wince. She looked so hurt, frightened and desperate. He fruitlessly tried to tell himself he wasn't responsible for that; that the demons had taken her against his orders, but he was wrong. He had to stop fooling himself. She would never have been in this situation if it hadn't been for him.

Looking closer Marcus noticed she cradled her arm against her chest in an odd angle. He instantly knew it was broken. Fury and guilt warred inside him. For the moment, fury won. His hand reached out of its own accord, trying to caress her cheek, but he pulled back as he saw her eyes widen in fear. A sharp pain in his neck indicated that the demons were still in full attack mode and were not at all retreating to give him some time alone with his Jessica.

Exasperated, he turned around. Swatting one demon out of the way, he snatched the weapon out of another one's claw. _Time to start doing some _real_ damage_. Wielding the sword swiftly, he chopped off heads and limbs left and right in a flurry of blows. After no more than a minute, Marcus was the only one left standing. He turned back to Jessica, who had crawled back into the far corner and was facing away from the fight, trembling violently.

Marcus didn't know what to do. He stood, sword still in his right hand, contemplating on the right course of action. "Jessie?"

A muffled sob was his only answer. He extended his hand tentatively. "Jessie, come on. You need to get out of here."

She didn't turn to face him, let alone take his hand. He cautiously touched her shoulder, making sure it wasn't the one attached to the broken arm. Still, she flinched. Marcus ignored the churning pit of guilt in his stomach and decided to change his approach. She needed to get to a hospital fast, and there was no time to address the issues between them. There would be plenty of time for that later. He yanked the chains loose from the frame and scooped her up in his arms, trying to avoid hurting her arm, but succeeding only partially. She cried in pain and then went limp in his arms. With uncharacteristic gentleness, Marcus positioned her on the passenger's seat of his car. He took a moment to savor the wonderful feeling of having her near again, then snapped out of it and started the car, driving toward the nearest hospital.

As he pulled up in front of the hospital, Jessica regained consciousness. Looking around in disorientation, she wondered why Marcus had taken her to a hospital. It made no sense, unless the sudden spark of hope in her heart had been right and he was sorry for what he had done. _Well, too damn late._ If he thought he could just swoop in and save her and say he was sorry about all she'd been through because of him, he had another thing coming. She was not caving in. He couldn't expect her to forget about the pain and the fear that he'd caused her, just because he'd had some sort of revelation and realized he didn't want her to die just yet. He couldn't play around with her like that. What if he'd decide tomorrow he didn't want her around after all? He'd get rid of her like he'd done today. It had hurt enough as it was. No way was she going to let it happen again. That was, if she got a choice in the matter. Marcus hadn't given her a choice earlier, so why did she think she was getting one now? He'd likely just fling her over his shoulder and carry her down to his cave, where she'd live in fear for the rest of her probably pretty short life.

Marcus threw her a sideways glance. She had woken up. _Good_. She wasn't looking too happy, but he could understand that. Right now the most important thing was to get her arm fixed up. After that they could talk. She didn't look like she wanted to hear his side of the story at this point in time anyway. He walked around the car to open her car door and bent over her to undo her seatbelt. She flinched at his proximity and kept her eyes trained on the floor. A pang of guilt shot through him. _Guilt_. He'd never known guilt of any kind, but in the last couple of hours he'd experienced enough of it to last him a lifetime. He silently offered his hand to help her out of his car.

Staring at his hand in disgust, she refused to take it. What was he thinking? That he could make everything right again by being polite? It took her some effort to crawl out of the car without the use of her arm, but she managed, only to lose her balance once she was on her feet.

Marcus rushed to her side, supporting her. She looked as if she was about to pass out again, so after a few tentative steps he hoisted her up in his arms and carried her into the hospital. She was so tiny. He'd been so close to losing her forever, and it would have been his own fault. He vowed to keep her safe from now on. Ignoring the punches she dealt to his chest with her good fist, he looked around for someone to help them.

"Her arm is broken." Marcus approached a young doctor who was making notes on a clipboard.

The man looked up. "You can get a form at the nurse's desk over there. Have a seat and we'll be right with you."

Marcus narrowed his eyes at the younger man menacingly. "You'd better help her now. She's in pain."

The doctor swallowed hard and took in the scene before him. Young woman, faint bruises on her face and arms, broken arm, not comfortable in the much older man's tight and possessive hold... and chains dangling from her feet and good arm. He reached a decision. "I'll drop these off, then I'll come with you. You need X-rays." He hurried into the nurse's office and was back within a minute. "This way."

Marcus nodded curtly and gently lowered Jessica onto her feet. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah I can walk," she spat back. "Don't touch me again." She walked in the indicated direction, gingerly holding her arm.

Marcus figured he deserved her wrath, so he acquiesced and silently followed her into the hallway.

Back in the nurse's office, the young doctor was conferring with his attending orthopaedic surgeon. "Bruises, broken arm, possessive behavior. Oh and did I mention the chains?"

The older man looked at his intern attentively. "Chains? He brought chains with him to the ER?"

"Apparently." The intern shrugged. He shook his head in incredulity. "What do I do, Dr. Prescott?"

"Call the police. I'll take care of the arm and maybe get some information out of the girl. What do they look like?" Prescott scratched his beard. He'd never get used to some people's behavior.

His intern looked out of the office window into the waiting room to try and locate the couple. "The guy is huge... Oh. Just look for a girl with chains on her feet and arm."

"Right. Sorry." The surgeon turned, took the X-rays under his arm and left for the ER waiting room. Surveying the room, he saw the young woman right away. She and the man next to her made for an odd pair. From the looks of it, he was quite some years older than her. She was very petite, whereas he was tall and broad shouldered. A guy built like that could snap that girl in half if he wanted to. It only took him a second to analyze the situation. Judging from the man's suit, he was some sort of big shot businessman. Prescott had seen it many times before. Those guys thought they were some kind of god and could get away with anything.

He cleared his throat and immediately felt the cold eyes of the man trained on him. The couple rose from their seats. The man instantly supported the girl's small frame with a concerned look on his face, but she pried his arm loose and glared daggers at him. He frowned, but complied and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"I'm Dr. Prescott. Please follow me." He placed a hand on the girl's elbow and led her into an examining room. The tall man followed them. Prescott turned around and shot him a disparaging look. "Sir, it's best that you wait here."

Marcus was about to protest when he saw Jessica's pleading look. "Fine." He returned to his seat and sat down, staring at the retreating couple with an unreadable expression on his face.

Dr. Prescott closed the door behind them. He decided on trying to make the girl more comfortable. Right now she seemed edgy and upset. "What's your name?"

"Jessica Nader." She sat down on the chair the doctor indicated to her.

Prescott nodded. "How did this happen, Jessica?"

Jessica hesitated. She wasn't stupid. She could tell the doctor thought Marcus and she'd had a domestic quarrel and Marcus had broken her arm. In a way, he had; but if she'd admit that to the doctor, the police would come and people would die. She knew Marcus. "I fell."

The doctor's chuckle lacked humor. "Tripped over your chains?" She looked at the shackles in shock, as if she'd forgotten about them. It was so sad. The girl was probably scared for her life. He would love to see that guy behind bars. "Tell me the truth, Jessica. I can't help you if you don't. How come your arm is broken? Why the chains?"

Jessica drew a deep breath. What was she supposed to tell the doctor? She couldn't tell him the truth and she couldn't tell him what he thought was the truth. How could she explain the chains? It dawned on her that there was only one feasible explanation for her current situation. She gulped and blushed fiercely. "The chains. Um... well, Marcus and I were playing a... um... game. You know."

The doctor smiled encouragingly. Now they were getting somewhere. "A sexual game?" _With that kind of chains? No way._

She nodded. "Yeah. And um... I got impatient and they weren't really all that secure, so I tugged them loose and went to look for Marcus. Then I fell down the stairs." Jessica felt embarrassed beyond belief. Even though she had made the story up, it made her cringe.

A sudden thought hit the doctor. That man was in his late thirties, and this girl looked not a day over sixteen. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one." Jessica frowned. "Why?"

Prescott sat down in front of her. "Listen to me, Jessica. We get a lot of girls like yourself in the ER. Some of them have broken arms or legs, but there are others who aren't so fortunate. There are people who can help you, and places where he can't find you. You just say the word and I'll have him arrested. If you go back to him, it'll only get worse until he breaks more than just your arm."

Jessica tried for her most stunned face. "What? You think Marcus did this?" The doctor nodded. "He didn't. He's a sweetheart, really. I told you, I fell."

Prescott sighed. _Classic case of denial_. "I've seen this before, Jessica. The possessive behavior, the age difference. You can't fool me. You have old bruises on your face."

"Can you just get on with it and set my arm? There's nothing wrong, really. It was just an unfortunate coincidence." Jessica refused to cast her eyes downward, so she stared down the doctor until he looked away.

"Okay," Prescott relented. He retrieved a pair of scissors from a cabinet and proceeded to cut open her already torn shirt.

A sudden gasp from the doctor made Jessica realize that the wounds Marcus had inflicted yesterday hadn't magically vanished. _Crap._ She closed her eyes, desperately searching for a logical explanation. _Crap times twenty_. "Um..."

Moving to stand in front of her, Prescott placed his hands on his hips sternly. "You fell?"

_I wish Marcus was here_. The thought was sudden and unexpected. "Um... no." She sighed. "We um... like to... you know. Pain and stuff." She prayed the doctor wouldn't pry further. It was mortifying enough as it was already.

Dumbstruck, Prescott opened his mouth to speak, then shut it with an audible snap. He gazed at her confoundedly for a few seconds. "He broke your arm and cut your chest open in an S&M game?"

Blushing fiercely, Jessica nodded. _Please let him back off_.

He tried one last time. "Has he ever... forced you to comply with his demands?"

Jessica couldn't suppress a chuckle. "Never." It was true. Up until last night, he'd been a perfect gentleman. She still wondered why he'd changed his mind about killing her, but decided to postpone those thoughts until a later time.

Prescott took out the X-rays and placed them on the wall. He pointed at the visible fracture line. "The problem is: I can't set your arm like this. It won't heal properly. I need to break it again and then set it. It'll hurt, but I can give you an anaesthetic."

"Don't bother," Jessica dismissed his suggestion. "Just do it already." She couldn't wait to get out of there. The sooner the better, and if that meant being in a little more pain, so be it. It couldn't get a lot worse than this anyway.

_Brave girl. Brave, but stupid._ Prescott reached for her arm and broke it again without further ado. She screamed in pain. After that, things happened very fast. The door burst open and he felt himself being hurled into a wall. The tall man from the waiting room advanced on him and towered over him threateningly.

"What do you think you're doing?" Marcus growled in a low voice. He had been sitting in the waiting room, hoping Jessica was okay, until he'd heard her cry of pain. He'd wasted no time in yanking the doctor away from her, not caring where he'd land. He moved toward him, fully intent on killing him slowly and painfully for hurting his Jessica. _Jessica_. Was she okay?

He looked back at Jessica and examined her face for traces of... he didn't know. Whatever he was looking for, she didn't show it. She looked intensely annoyed. With him? Why? _What'd I do?_ She heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Leave the doctor alone, Marcus. He was just setting my arm," she admonished him. "Which he should be getting on with."

Marcus' brow creased in a frown as he watched the doctor scramble to his feet. Grudgingly he helped the man up. He refused to apologize however; Prescott had hurt her. It didn't matter that it'd been necessary, he was irrational that way. Once upright, the doctor shook Marcus' hand off his arm and glowered at him.

Marcus stared back unperturbed. "If your next words are 'Wait outside', you can spare yourself the trouble."

"Can we focus on the girl in pain, please?" Jessica suggested tiredly. "You can stay, Marcus, but save the testosterone for later."

_Wait_... when did he stop being in charge? He'd been acting like a kicked puppy since he'd released her from the demons' lair. He might feel guilty, but he was still himself. Marcus Hamilton did not get bossed around. She should know that by now. He took a step toward her to make that clear, but saw the fear still present in her eyes. There was another reason for her behavior.

The door to the examining room opened and two men stepped inside. Quickly, Marcus moved to stand before Jessica's exposed chest to cover her from prying eyes. The men didn't shift under his icy stare, but approached the doctor.

Prescott looked up from Jessica's arm in puzzlement, but then realized the police had been called to arrest the man for beating up his girlfriend. "Um... Sorry. There has been a misunderstanding."

Taking in the doctor's behavior, the measuring glances the two men threw him and the thoroughly embarrassed look on Jessica's face, Marcus put two and two together. Those men were here to arrest him for domestic violence. He barely could suppress a chuckle. Apparently, Jessica had cooked up a story about how she had sustained her injuries and the doctor had bought it. He briefly wondered what kind of story would make her blush that fiercely, and at the same time would explain her broken arm, the chains and the cuts and bruises on her body. _Oh_. He gulped, trying to rid himself of the pleasant images the realization brought about. He would never hurt her that much during sex though.

He didn't fool himself into thinking she'd wanted to protect him; she knew he could take care of himself. Most likely, she'd been protecting innocent people like the police officers and the doctor. It made him slightly sad, but he couldn't expect her to still care about him after what he'd done. He'd just have to live with it. Which brought him to another problem.

He couldn't very well force her to keep living with him. He couldn't bear the thought of hurting her again, and that was just what would happen if he took her back to his apartment. He would have to give her a free choice. Marcus nodded to himself. _Free choice_. That sounded good. Then again, she was thoroughly scared of him. Would she really make the right decision based on what she felt for him, or would she stay with him because she feared he'd harm her again if she didn't? He'd really messed up this time. It was all too possible she would never even be able to look at him again without trepidation. The odds of her ever reciprocating his feelings were slim to none. _Good show, Marcus_.

The police officers addressed Jessica, trying to peek around Marcus' frame. "Are you sure, Miss?"

Jessica nodded, but realized Marcus was blocking her from their view. "Definitely." She left it at that, hoping the officers would leave already.

The men hesitated, sensing that there was something off about the man in the suit and the girl he was protecting. They didn't have anything to go on, however, so arresting the guy would be opening a can of worms. He'd have their asses sued in no time. If the girl didn't want to press charges, there was nothing they could do. They nodded curtly and left the room.

Jessica heaved a sigh of relief, which quickly changed to a gasp of pain when the doctor proceeded to treat her arm. Marcus cleared his throat warningly and glared at Prescott, who hurried to put the cast on her arm.

After he was done, he backed away swiftly. "There. All done. The cast should be removed in six weeks, so go down to the nurses' office and they'll set you up with an appointment."

Marcus grumbled his approval and took Jessica's arm to escort her back to the waiting room. She resisted the urge to pry his hand off her arm while the doctor was watching, and was able to maintain her cool until they approached the car. Shaking his hand off brusquely, she opened the car door and lowered herself onto the seat. Marcus sat down next to her and watched her struggle with the seatbelt.

"Let me get that," he said softly, bending over her to help.

She leaned back in the seat, trying to create some distance between them. She couldn't help but inhale his scent deeply. Had it only been a day since she'd been so happy and in love? Clearly, a part of her remembered and still wanted him. She closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the sudden desire she felt.

Images of last night flashed before her mind's eye. Marcus toying with the knife. Marcus crushing her hopes and breaking her heart. Marcus cutting her and holding her while she cried because of it. The words he'd said and the look in his eyes. _Marcus saying he was sorry_. She couldn't take it anymore. It was just too hard. She didn't even know why he'd saved her. His behavior the last day had been strange to say the least.

She opened her eyes when she heard the click of the seatbelt being fastened. Marcus was looking at her with a wistful expression on his handsome face. She sighed. She wanted nothing more than to wake up and discover this had all been a bad dream. Maybe she'd wake up and see Marcus' sleeping head and be safe. Blinking, she realized that she'd rather be with Marcus than somewhere else. The Marcus that she'd thought she knew of course, she wasn't too fond of the new version.

Marcus started the car and attempted to decide what he should do next. Should he just drop her off at her parents' house without trying to explain his actions? Something told him he owed her at least some sort of explanation. It wasn't a conversation he particularly looked forward to, and he could tell from her reticence that she was as reluctant to listen to him, as he was to divulge his feelings. Still, it wouldn't leave him alone until he did. He took a deep breath and kept his eyes trained on the road.

"I'm sorry," Marcus said, a little more brusquely than he'd intended. "About everything."

Jessica nodded mutely, studying her hands.

Marcus sighed. That was apparently not going to cut it. How did you say you were sorry for almost killing someone? Was there a right way to do that? A way that would make everything okay again?

"I was wrong," he continued. "I wasn't thinking clearly." He warmed to the subject when he saw her throw a furtive glance in his direction from the corner of his eye. "I want to explain."

She looked at him pensively, then nodded slowly. He noticed her hands trembled slightly. She was still afraid of him. He doubted she'd ever be able to look at him again the way she used to. He cleared his throat. The hardest part was yet to come. "Well... this is going to sound strange. I hired those demons. To kill you. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly, I just wanted you out of my life."

He heard a muffled sob and glanced at her. She was crying already. That really didn't bode well. Suddenly realizing what he had said, he hurried to correct himself. "That's not what I meant. I'm not saying this right. I wanted you out of my life because I didn't want to lose you. Because I... I fell in love with you, Jessie."

Marcus fidgeted in his seat apprehensively. The word was out. He felt ridiculously hopeful that she'd turn to him, say she loved him too and forgive him for everything he'd done. Still, he realized that wasn't likely to happen.

She opened her mouth to speak, but shut it again. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke, her words barely more than a whisper. "I loved you too."

Marcus didn't fail to recognize the past tense of her words. He felt oddly happy, even though her words implicated that she wasn't in love with him anymore.

Jessica continued, a little louder this time. "Why did you come back for me?"

His answer seemed important to her. He considered telling a lie, but that would be counter-productive. If he wanted her to have free choice, she'd have to have all the information. "I didn't," he confessed. "I thought you were dead and I wanted to vent my anger by killing the demons that killed you."

She shook her head dejectedly. "Don't lie to me. You told them to take me back to their lair and use me as a sacrifice."

Marcus frowned. "No, I didn't. I ordered them to make it quick so you wouldn't suffer."

"Oh please," she scoffed angrily, temporarily forgetting her fear. "I was there, remember? Your assistant came down specifically to issue new orders. They could do as they pleased with me. He said you changed your mind."

Marcus kept silent for a few seconds. Patterson? Had he approached the demons behind his back and told them to have their merry way with Jessica? Why? Right now Marcus was glad that he had, but saving Jessica couldn't have been Patterson's ultimate goal. Or could it? No, he decided. That didn't explain Patterson's strange behavior that morning, and if he'd wanted to save her, why hadn't he sent Marcus to rescue her? He'd have to look into the matter once he'd settled things with Jessica.

"That order didn't come from me," Marcus admitted finally. "I wish it did. But I can't take credit for the fact that you're still alive. No matter how much I want to."

Jessica studied him thoughtfully. "You said you wanted me dead because you didn't want to lose me. That doesn't make sense in my world." She felt a little more comfortable around him now he'd confessed to having feelings for her, but she couldn't be sure he wouldn't change on a dime -- _again_. Either way, she had to get some things off her chest.

"It does," he argued. "You're mortal, I'm not. You're human and therefore by default weak and an easy target for my enemies. They'd take you and try to use you as a bargaining chip and you'd get killed. I couldn't bear that thought." He paused his rant to take a deep breath. "And besides, it's impossible for us to be together. I'm evil. You're not. You wouldn't love me forever; eventually you'd get disgusted by my nature. And I could never set you free. The thought of you making a life with another man..." He shuddered.

"Still not big on the logic," Jessica observed. "That's a load of crap and you know it. Evil, pfft. Are you saying that you were faking every second of the last five days? And that you were pretending to love Megan and Thomas? Where does it say that you have to be all evil, all the time?" She held up her hand to silence him. "I'm not done yet. What about Matt and Kuan-Yu? Are they less evil than you because they love? And if so, why does that matter and why don't you want to be like them? It could be just a job, Marcus, and I could have lived with that as long as you'd have been with me." She sighed regretfully. "But it's too late now."

Marcus opened his mouth to protest. She cut him off with an angry glare. "You've done this to me. I used to have a good heart. It was pure. And then you came and I gave it to you. You corrupted it and broke it to boot. Well, keep it. I don't need it anymore. I don't _want_ it anymore." Her voice was thick with emotion and the tears that threatened to spill.

Marcus tightened his grip on the steering wheel. She was right; he'd used her, not caring about the damage he'd do. He'd tainted her, trying to drag her down in his darkness to entertain himself. The fact that she cared about that indicated that she wasn't as far gone as she thought she was. Truth be told, he wasn't sure he could ever completely darken her soul, even if he wanted to. She had an innate pureness, soft and sweet and caring. She'd never stop being that way. In the hospital, she'd protected other people by basically surrendering herself to him again. To him, the thing she feared the most. No, she wouldn't change; he wouldn't let her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, more to himself than to her.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Marcus," Jessica told him resolutely. "You hurt me. A lot. I can't go on like this, wondering when you'll grow tired of me and decide you want me dead after all." She turned her face toward the window to hide her tears.

Marcus nodded slowly. She'd made her choice. He set course for the suburbs. He didn't know what to say anymore so he kept quiet. Even as she fumbled to undo the seatbelt after he'd pulled up to her parents' house, he kept his gaze trained on the road ahead, both hands resting on the steering wheel.

Jessica looked at him and opened her mouth to say something but shook her head. It was better this way. Even if she could forgive him for what he'd done, she wasn't sure if she could forgive herself for forgiving him. When did this all get so complicated? _Right, when I went and fell in love with my captor_. She shut the car door quietly and made her way to the front door.

"Goodbye Jessie," Marcus whispered to himself before he drove away.


End file.
